Downfall of Women SOLDIER
by SOLDIERNichole
Summary: In between being SOLDIER and a Turk, Nichole is the only woman to survive MAKO treatments and is severely underestimated by Lazard, Veld, and most of her comrades. While seeking to prove herself the events around her make it hard to not fall apart. Can she prove that women are also meant to be SOLDIER? (Subject to rating change)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Nichole glared at the cell phone in her gloved hand. The call was still active, but both voices were silent were several moments. The air around Nichole seemed to spark with the intense irritation she was feeling, and she sighed deeply, brushing a few pieces of jet black hair from her face, electric blue eyes still glaring.

"So you're telling me, that even though we are in the middle of a war, that there is absolutely nothing for me to be doing? No missions or assignments or patrols I could be doing?" The woman clarified to the person she spoke with.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Nichole." Director Lazard answered, making the young woman scowl deeper.

"I think that's bull crap. In fact, both of us know it's bull crap." Nichole growled. Director Lazard sighed.

"Why don't you see if Veld has anything for you? I'm sure he would appreciate the help."

"Because I didn't go through the MAKO treatments to just be a Turk, Lazard. I'm a 2nd Class SOLDIER for crying out loud! I have more training hours than any other 2nd in the Soldier program, and yet I get to sit here and do nothing while less qualified Soldier go out and do missions." She ranted, feeling a headache building behind her eyes. Why didn't any of them understand?

"You're too important to the company to risk losing, Nichole." Lazard explained again. Nichole rolled her eyes, knowing what he was about to say.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the proof that women can succeed anywhere in ShinRa and my survival of MAKO treatments has brought in twice as many females to the company than before. Whatever. I'm going to go see Veld. At least he puts me in the field." She muttered the last statement darkly before snapping the phone shut.

Nichole slipped the cellular device back into its drop-proof holder and rubbed her forehead. She walked stiffly to the elevators and produced a Turk level Key Card and swiped it into the elevator. The machine started to whirr and a panel slide open in the wall, producing two buttons. Nichole pushed the one for the residence level and crossed her arms as the panel slid shut again.

The elevator opened and Nichole got off. The big commons room was completely empty as it should have been at this time. The Turks would be on the office floor or doing missions at this time of day. Nichole's room was here only because the President didn't want any misconduct from the men towards her in the barracks. Nichole rolled her eyes. At least she had a suite to herself instead of a cramped barrack bunk. Nichole's suite was T12, being a smaller one person suite. She knew that the guys bunked double suites most of the time.

Upon entering her home, she looked around and sighed. Her SOLDIER uniform would have to be abandoned for the day. She didn't even know why she tried most of the time. Lazard always held the same answer. Nichole went into the familiar routine of removing her Uniform. It was different than the men's standard, but quite similar. The boots were smaller and fit more like dress shoes that went up to her mid-calf, also having a low heel. The pants weren't as baggy, allowing her more room to move when fighting. The shoulder guards weren't quite as bulky, but still offered the same amount of protection and the turtleneck sweater was the same.

The suit was different, but still familiar. The boots stayed on, just not on top of the black dress slacks. The white collared shirt was fitted, along with the black jacket. The tie was always a hassle for her, but she wore it all the same. Looking into the mirror, Nichole gazed at the mess of black waves. After taming them with a brush and some water, Nichole pulled her mid-back length hair into a high ponytail, bangs falling down to frame her face. She huffed and knobbed her phone off her SOLDIER gear, sending a quick message to Veld.

He replied back saying he had some minor reconnaissance for her to do just as she swiped the card in the elevator again, pushing the office floor button. Most of the Turks were busy when the elevator dinged open, but a couple of the newer rookies stopped and stared at the woman as she entered. Most of them knew about her strange predicament, but the new ones just knew she had MAkO eyes. That alone made them wary of her.

Not paying any mind to the younger Turks, Nichole simply strode into Veld's office, like she normally did, and sat in a chair with her arms crossed looking put out. Veld looked at her and scoffed a bit.

"Lazard is still being stubborn?" Nichole scowled giving Veld a dry look

"What do you think?" She grumbled. She was grateful for Veld letting her take Turk missions, but she was still very sour towards the SOLDIER Director and Veld knew it.

"Where to today, boss?" Nichole inquired, sitting back and crossing her arms, looking at him flatly. Veld nodded once and pulled a small file out of a stack of things, handing it to her.

"Girl in the slums. The company wants surveillance on her for some reason." Nichole looked at the girl's photo quietly, narrowing her eyes a bit. She was just a young child! And by Veld's voice she knew he had the reason for the surveillance, she just wasn't allowed to hear it.

"What am I looking for here then?" Nichole looked at Veld closely.

"Anything suspicious." The Turk's Director replied and Nichole nodded a bit.

"The slums are a big place, anyone else looking out for her too?" Nichole questioned and Veld nodded.

"Tseng is on a more permanent watch, but I've already notified him of your arrival. He should be by the old church. He says the girl spends most of her time there." Veld answered, checking his phone as it beeped.

"I suppose I'll be going then." Nichole stood up and sighed. Recon was always kind of boring, but at least it was something.

"That was one of the most pointless things I've ever done. She just played with the flowers all day!" Nichole complained to Tseng as they headed back to the ShinRa building. The senior Turk chuckled and smiled wryly at her comment.

"They make her happy, how can you blame her?" He replied and Nichole paused a bit.

"They were kind of pretty, I suppose." Nichole admitted and Tseng shook his head. The long day had been passed by quiet words between the two. Nichole had found him easily; she just picked a spot and waited for him to show up. Tseng was one of the few Turks who didn't have any strange feelings towards SOLDIER, and at the same time her.

"You would notice more if you had been watching more." Tseng chastised, having noticed Nichole drawing in the dirt or staring off into space.

"I do better with recon when I'm actually looking for something." Nichole shot back. "Veld gave me a vague idea of 'suspicious behavior' before I left" Nichole responded, using air quotes and rolling her eyes. "The only thing suspicious about her is her love of botany!"

Both the Turks reached the building and a dignified silence overcame the pair, moving into the elevator. Most of the other workers didn't notice Nichole unless she was in her SOLDIER garb. She was the only girl SOLDIER, and that called a lot of attention from others and the media. She hated the media. Every time there was a press conference, she got tricked into going and having to answer a bunch of ridiculous godforsaken questions. It was almost as bad as Sephiroth's fan-girl horde, but not quite that fear inducing.

As the elevator shut, the tense silence faded and Nichole looked at Tseng with a single eyebrow raised.

"Did you see the receptionist?" She asked Tseng, who nodded quietly.

"She always does that." Tseng replied, referring to the gawking woman at the desk. Nichole scoffed.

"You get that from women a lot don't you?" She asked intuitively and Tseng nodded once.

"You're actually one of the few that doesn't." Tseng glanced at her. Nichole nodded a bit, her hair bobbing as she did.

"I guess it just comes with not being a bystander." Nichole replied, leaning on the side of the elevator. Tseng nodded in agreement. The silence was a comfortable one. Nichole got off first, the Turk's commons area now busy with loitering men and women. Nichole was about to head to her Suite when Cissnei grabbed her elbow and jerked her down into the seat next to her.

"Minerva, woman! Where did you get that arm from?" Nichole laughed, looking at the copper haired woman. Cissnei smiled sweetly, not answering.

"So, do anything exciting today?" She asked and Nichole rolled her eyes.

"Never! It's like excitement is against the law for me. I had to go watch this girl in the slums." She responded to the question, still put out about the boring assignment. Tseng shook his head and walked by, heading to his own suite, not being interrupted by any snagging arms.

"You at least got to go with Tseng though, right? You two must have talked." Cissnei commented. Nichole shrugged.

"Not really talked, just small chat." Nichole chided, giving a knowing look to the shorter woman. "And don't you dare go making assumptions about I have a crush just because we got put on an assignment together. Stop trying to play Matchmaker with me." Nichole crossed her arms, indignantly at Cissnei who giggled and shook her head.

"Why not? You avoid men like the plague!"

"Men are a plague. Especially Reno." Nichole growled, both women suddenly glaring daggers at the loudmouth red-head from across the room.

"Tseng is decent though, a little too wrapped up in work, but he's a good guy." Cissnei pressed, and Nichole shook her head.

"No. I don't have time for it. And I don't like Tseng, so stop running that little blabber mouth of yours!" Nichole growled playfully, poking Cissnei in the side. Cissnei laughed and shook her head.

"Whatever, Nichole. It'll happen one day and you'll be trying to stop a train with a fence made out of toothpicks." Cissnei made the analogy and Nichole scoffed.

"Sure, whatever you say. Now, I'm tired and I'm going to bed so I can yell at Lazard again in the morning." Nichole rolled her eyes at the mention of the SOLDIER Director. Cissnei nodded.

"Goodnight."

Nichole always dreamed of the same thing. She was on a cliff, behind her a fiery volcano and in front of her a steep dive into a rough ocean. It was strange though. She wore a white dress, not normal to her tastes, and she couldn't see, but she knew that her eyes weren't MAKO blue anymore. Instead of the bright blue they were their original soft green color. She looked around, her ebony waves loose around her face. This place confused her.

She had read a book once about the significance of dreams and how they reflected the waking world, but she couldn't pick this one apart. And it was always the same thing. White dress, green eyes, in-between an ocean and a volcano. The heat grew on her back and she looked over her shoulder to see the volcano spewing fire and smoke. That was different. The mountain of fire was normally dormant in this dream. Was it a sign of something? A coming eruption of chaos and scourging?

She wasn't sure, but before anything else could happen, the annoying beeping of her alarm clock tore through the silence of her dream and she groaned, slapping the offending machine to hit the snooze button. Nichole buried her face back into her pillows, breathing the familiar scent of the laundry cleaner and the scent of her shampoo. She must have dozed again because the alarm started to beep again to her annoyance.

Bolting upright she flicked the switch on the side of the clock, now awake enough to get up. Nichole stretched her arms above her head and grunted in satisfaction as her shoulders and upper back popped. Getting up she slipped on her SOLDIER uniform, planning on going to Lazard's office and bugging him to death. She pulled her hair up again and walked out of her apartment, seeing only Cissnei and Rude were awake and outside.

"Good morning, Miss Nichole." Rude greeted quietly, already wearing his suit and shades. Nichole dipped her head in acknowledgement, being to groggy to talk yet. Quickly making a cup of Coffee, the Turks were like coffee addicts, Nichole sat beside Cissnei. The copper haired woman was still in her pajamas, the soft blue fabric decorated with little moons and stars.

"Nice outfit, Cissy. You should wear it on missions." Nichole mumbled, making Cissnei laugh quietly.

"Plan on bugging Lazard?" She asked and Nichole drank her coffee silently for a moment.

"Naturally. I'm going to his office this time and not leaving until he gives me something to do." She explained shaking her head. "As much fun as it was yesterday, I don't want to end up watching flower girl again."

A/N- Yay! First chapters done! If you read, I would really appreciate it if you would review. Let me know if there are any grammar errors or if you think a character is OOC. Comments about Nichole are also welcome, and I am open for any criticism (Constructive only please). Yes this is going to be set in Crisis Core. This specific chapter was set just before the game begins. I am currently re-playing Crisis Core so I can keep this as close to the original universe as possible. Anyways, thanks for reading! Free cookies (the data kind) for everyone! :D

[EDITED]


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lazard's eye had begun to twitch. The squeaking of the swivel chair in his office was going to drive him mad. With Genesis gone missing and the sudden mass desertion of SOLDIER, Nichole spinning in the chair across his office was becoming annoying and quite vexing. She had been at this for nearly a week now, constantly pestering him about an assignment. He tried to ignore the screechy chair; at least Nichole was being quiet now.

Nichole noticed his ignoring and began to spin the chair faster, grinning at her own annoyance and watching him suffer. She had heard the elevator door bing open s someone else walked into the Director's office. She let the chair spin out its momentum, grabbing the edge of the desk being dizzy from all the spinning. She managed to not gape and remained composed as she saw Sephiroth striding into the office.

"Director Lazard. You wanted me?" The silver haired man's cool voice spoke, sending ice down Nichole's back. She had only seen him a few times in her four years here, but his voice was eerie and droning.

"Yes, the President wants you to lead another campaign to Wutai. The war had apparently gone on long enough. Fort Tamblin is the target." Lazard spoke, earning a nasty glare from Nichole. She stayed quiet, however, her mouth seemingly shut by the presence of the General of SOLDIER.

"Who all is going?"

"You will lead a group of infantryman and a few 2nd's to place a distraction on the far side of the fort. On the other side, Angeal and another operative will be waiting to infiltrate and diminish the fort from the inside. Some of the 2nd's will be repeats. I've run out of different operatives to send."

"Then that means I'll be going right?" Both men looked at Nichole. She had one knee propped up under her chin, watching both of them.

'I don't see why no-"

"No." Director Lazard interrupted Sephiroth, making the silver haired man, making the General look at Lazard.

"Why not? I've heard good things about her training." Sephiroth looked at Lazard's eyes, the stubborn Director's will beginning to crumble under the icy teal stare.

"Because training has nothing to do with it. Apparently having a vagina makes me fail at everything I've been working for." Nichole snarled, glaring murderously at the Director. Sephiroth looked at her and then Lazard, then back again.

"Are you really being that petty, Lazard?" Sephiroth looked at the blonde Director who shook his head.

"It's because…" He tried to search his mind for something; every second that he passed Nichole just grew more livid at the situation

"It's because I'm a woman. Don't try to make up excuses, you sexist twit. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and not get my nails done." Nichole growled at the Director, irritated beyond belief. Not even the cold presence of Sephiroth could put out that fire. Nichole smashed the elevator button and got on, growling to herself.

'Damn that Lazard! He really was about to let me stay here and send people for the second time to Wutai! I practically begged him to send me to Wutai, but noooo, Nichole's a girl, she can't do anything a man would do.' Nichole thought to herself, becoming more heated as the elevator went down to the entrance floor. She needed a break. The fountain plaza was perfect at this time of day.

Nichole ventured down the stairs, ignoring the lady giving out potions at the front. Nobody stopped her on the street, but she couldn't help feeling watched. One of the Turks was probably around. Sitting on the stairs that led to the round fountain. She hugged a knee to her chest, resting her cheek on it. The sound of the fountain was easy to concentrate on, the sound of the water splashing. It was a good distraction from her thoughts.

Have a rough morning?" Cissnei's voice distracted her; Nichole looked over her shoulder as the female Turk approached.

"I had a feeling one of you all was close by, and yes and no for your question." Nichole brushed bangs out of her face. Cissnei sat next to her.

"How do you mean by that?" Nichole groaned out a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

"The no was because I haven't done anything except for bug Lazard, and yes because Sephiroth is leading another campaign to Fort Tamblin in Wutai and I'm still not going." Electric blue eyes looked back in irritation, Cissnei's warm brown ones looking a bit put out for her.

"Men are quite dull aren't they?" Cissnei asked and Nichole snorted in agreement, putting her head back down to listen to the fountain.

This place helps me think. It reminds me of home." Nichole muttered.

"Where is home for you? I don't think you've ever talked about it." Nichole sat up and crossed her legs, staring at the fountain.

"Well, it's not really home I'm talking about. Just the place I grew up in when I was a kid. I forget the name of the town, but I remember it was near Cosmo Canyon. You could go down into the start of the valley and there were all these brooks everywhere and they made that same splashing noise. I would always go there when I was upset." Nichole reminisced, going back to the time she was a young child.

And your family?" Cissnei asked curiously. Nichole shrugged.

"We moved here to Midgar when I was seven. My dad worked with ShinRa, my mom… didn't really do anything. She got sick and died and I never really saw my dad." Nichole shrugged, the irritation being soothed by the different topic and the sound of the water. Both women jumped as Nichole's phone suddenly started to ring. Quickly getting a game face on, Nichole answered her phone, not checking the ID.

"Nichole here."

"Nichole, its Sephiroth." Game face gone. What did she do? "I've agreed to personally oversee you on the assignment to Wutai. Get packed." It took a second to sink in, but Nichole grinned and stood up.

"You got it; I owe you big time, Sephiroth." Cissnei looked up at her sharply now, focused on what she was saying.

"Meet in the SOLDIER floor briefing room when you are ready." The General replied, amusement being evident in his normally placid voice. The call ended and Nichole shut her phone, still grinning like an idiot.

"Sephiroth just got me into the Wutai mission." Nichole looked at the female Turk beside her. Cissnei smiled softly at her, standing up.

"Go get ready then. And don't forget to be careful!"

"Sure thing mom!" Nichole laughed at Cissnei's worry, sprinting back to the ShinRa building. She wasn't even in Wutai yet and she was filled with adrenaline and determination.

Nichole sat in the helicopter's seat, right leg bouncing up and down with jitters. The three infantrymen were stone silent and still, Sephiroth's presence captivating them, but not Nichole. She was too wrapped up in the thought of what was to come.

"Nichole!" Sephiroth's stern voice suddenly broke through her concentration. She looked at him, wide eyed, leg stilling.

"Stop fidgeting."

"Sorry." Nichole apologized sheepishly, looking out the window again; the jungle landscape was quite beautiful. She hoped some of it would last as ShinRa built the reactors. The silence continued and Nichole soon began to fidget again, much to everyone's annoyance. Her jitters were making everyone nervous.

"Guy's put on your harnesses; we will arrive at the ShinRa base in five minutes." The pilot directed, his voice coming in through the headset's they all had. Nichole put hers on, pulling the straps around her arms and buckling it in front of her chest, wrapping the lap belt over as well. The landing was quite smooth, but Nichole didn't know what she was expecting out here. She was quite surprised to see that there were neat tents everywhere. Some big tents, some little tents, some gigantic tents, Nichole blinked as she undid her harness, one of the infantrymen opening the helicopter door.

Sephiroth was the last one to get off, Looking around as the other helicopters began to land, Nichole was kind of star0struck. Not knowing where to begin or what to do. She looked at Sephiroth and he shook his head.

"The mission will start at sundown. Go prepare for now." He dismissed her and Nichole began to walk aimlessly through the tents, her twin swords stepped to her back. She had some simple materia installed onto each blade. The left blade Hellfire, a black edged red black with a golden handle, was equipped with Fire, Thunder and Esuma. The right blade Angelsong, a white edged blue blade with a silver handle, was equipped with Cure, Blizzard Blade, and a Summon.

Both blades were custom made for her, costing her a small fortune of 20,000 gil each. She had worked for every gil ever since she was fifteen. Odd jobs from fifteen to eighteen, SOLDIER salary and Paid by mission from the Turks until she was twenty. Those blades weren't only a testament of SOLDIER but of hard work as well. This was the first time she would ever use them outside of a simulator and minor missions.

Nichole sat on a flat rock, switching around the materia in her blade's handles when HE showed up.

"Hey, Nichole!" Her face turned into a stone and she looked up at Zack Fair. Minerva, what did he want?

"Zack." She greeted stiffly, putting the materia back into her blades. He came to a stop by her and grinned.

"You finally get an assignment?"

"Well, I'm here aren't I?" Nichole strapped the blades back in their X-shaped fashion on her back.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true. What are you supposed to be doing while we're here?" His bright blue eyes looked at her excitedly. She shrugged.

"Stay where ever Sephiroth is I suppose. He's supposed to be looking after me." She spoke evenly, watching him carefully. Her experience with the Truks was telling her he was swelling with pride about something and was about to explode on someone.

"Angeal nominated me for 1st! Isn't that great?! Man, I'm so excited; I can hardly wait until we leave for Tamblin!" Zack spouted, fist pumping in triumph. There it was. Nichole tried to put on a happy face, but she was pretty sure it came out at a sour grimace.

"Lucky you." Why did Zack still talk to her? She was impersonal and tried to ignore him every time he came over, but he kept coming back. Man. Angeal was right; he's exactly like a puppy. The thought made her smile a bit, which Zack took as an encouraging gesture towards his achievement.

"Hey… Isn't this your first assignment as a 2nd? Maybe Lazard will promote you too! He's here to watch the progress ya know!" And now she was pissed again.

"Lazard can do as he pleases, the only reason I'm even here is because Sephiroth convinced him that sitting me out because I'm a woman is unfair or something like that." Nichole spat, her eyes turning murderous again. Zack sobered and blinked at her.

"Are you serious?! That's not cool! You went through MAKO treatments just like everyone else; you should get the same respect!" Zack said, somewhat outraged. Nichole nodded and huffed.

"Whatever Sephiroth did, I hope it keeps happening. I can't handle being holed up in the ShinRa building for much longer. Maybe this mission will prove I'm capable of what everyone else is." She wondered out loud and Zack nodded.

"I've seen you train before, it wouldn't surprise me if you got promoted. The hardest of the simulations are like pieces of cake for you." He complimented and Nichole sighed. Now she knew why he kept talking to her. Zack was like Angeal. Always building other people up. And she was one of the lowest feeling people in SOLDIER, no wonder she always got his attention. Zack had a negativity radar. She started laughing imagining Zack with a little satellite dish on his head to track negative thoughts and actions.

"What? Why are you laughing?" Zack questioned, perplexed at the sudden change in moods. Nichole merely kept laughing, confusing the boy further. A puppy with a negativity radar indeed.

A/N- Lol. Zack is fun to write. I feel like Sephiroth is a little out of character here (I'm not sure if he would care about Nichole being treated unfairly by Lazard) but I have a feeling he would. He was sort of, kind of, nice before he went all coo-coo for coco puffs. I finished playing the Nibelheim reactor part to Crisis Core last night and it made me realize again how sad it was. Not just Sephiroth going insane, but the reason why he went insane. I blame Genesis. He's the asscrack that started all this shizz. And Hojo. Hojo has the majority of my hate(Maybe that's just my Vincent Valentine fan-girl talking but IDK). Anywhooo, R&R! I'd love to have some feedback! Let me know if I should improve on something!

[EDITED]


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nichole grunted and waved away another large bug that tried to fly in her face. Some of the infantrymen were snickering behind her about it. She didn't care though. She had eyes to protect while they wore helmets to protect their vision. Sephiroth was quiet, occasionally using a hand signal to make the small group called B Unit halt as he checked for any sign of Wutai warriors. So far none had showed up, but they were still a ways off from Fort Tamblin.

Angelsong was ready in Nichole's hand should an ambush occur, no use in not being ready. The infantrymen were dull and were relaxed. They would suffer if they got attacked. Nichole stared quietly at the forest around her. She could sense them there, but there still was no sign of them. She stepped up beside Sephiroth, casting a wary glance around. His teal eyes glanced at her, getting the unspoken message, and he nodded once, The Masamune appearing in his hand.

A startled gurgling cry came from one of the infantrymen as in a flash his throat was slit in a flood of crimson. The others were quickly on guard then, holding their guns up and at the ready. Nichole moved to the back of the group, readying Hellfire in her left hand. Sephiroth stayed at the front, his face impassionate and emotionless.

A flash of moonlight reflecting off metal was all the warning Nichole got, Angelsong quickly coming up to her defense as a heavy blade was directed at her throat. Twisting the blue sword, she knocked the blade from the Wutai warrior's hand and stabbed him in the chest with Hellfire. One assassin down. She could still feel the others around them. She pulled Hellfire from the male's chest, the red blade dripping crimson.

"Don't let your guard down. There are more, but they will think twice now." Sephiroth instructed the infantrymen who nodded, beginning to march once again. Nichole was on edge now, her jitters and excitement morphed into precision and deadly focus. If Lazard was truly watching, he would know he had made a dire mistake in not sending her sooner.

They had been marching for ten minutes, when the whole of the Wutai party jumped from the trees and the bushes. They were outnumbered eight to twenty, but still the group prepared. Sephiroth would probably take the majority of them anyways. Before the Wutai could move, Nichole rushed forward, gutting one of the warriors with Hellfire and then stabbing another in the throat with Angelsong. Eighteen. The infantrymen began to let lead fly, Sephiroth moving into graceful action as well. In the first ten seconds the Wutai numbers were halved.

Nichole spun to avoid a sharp knife and stabbed Angelsong into the man's spinal column, paralyzing him from the midsection down. She kicked him off the edge of her blade, ducking to avoid the swing of a katana. Nichole stabbed under her arm with Hellfire, sinking it into muscle and bone, the wielder of said katana groaning in pain. She whirled and with Angelsong decapitated the man. It was only fitting since that's what he was aiming to do with her.

Nichole hadn't been paying attention; their group of eight shrinking, turning into a group of four, as four infantrymen were gutted. Only two of the Wutai were left however, both quickly dispatched by the General. Nichole stood and looked around. She felt no more hostile presences around them and sighed.

"All clear. Everybody alright?" Nichole called out. Sephiroth nodded silently at her question, the two infantrymen responding with 'okay here' and 'fine'. They continued to march forward, leaving the bloody remains of the battle behind. Nichole kept both her swords in hand, keeping in mind to later clean and polish them back to luster.

Fort Tamblin was much larger than she had expected. The wall was high and guards patrolled the top of it, one group coming around about every two minutes. The remaining four crouched in the bushes, watching the guards carefully.

"Our objective is simple. Plant the explosive on the bottom of the wall and lead some of the troops away. You two," He looked at the infantrymen. "Stay out of the way. Let Nichols and I handle the fighting. Nichole…" She looked at the general expectantly, waiting for orders.

"You plant the device and set the timer. Get out of range and lead the troops back to the jungle where we are now. I'll be waiting for them. Don't try to fight them without me." Sephiroth instructed and Nichole nodded. The silver haired male pulled out the small, but most likely, effective device and handed it to her.

"You have thirty seconds to get out of there after you push the blue button. Stay insight, but out of a fifty foot radius." Sephiroth commanded further, Nichole strapping the device to her belt and nodding. She could do that. She crept forward slowly, watching the approaching guards begin to pass the point she was eyeing for the device implantation. As soon as they passed she bolted for the wall, quickly grabbing the device.

"Wait! I think I heard something!" She heard a voice from the top of the wall. She cursed silently. 'Please don't look down. Please don't look down. Please don't look down.' She mentally pleaded, unsticking the device from her belt. She heard nothing else from the Wutai for a minute.

"Let's move, it was probably just a bird!" Another higher pitched voice called out. She sighed in relief, sticking the device to the wall and pushing the single blue button. The timer began its countdown and Nichole bolted back away, standing at seventy feet.

The heat was incredible, the small little device making a ground-shaking explosion. Cries of alarm went up from the fort and Nichole whooped and hollered to get their attention. Unlike the twenty from earlier, this time about fifty of the little suckers ran out of the smoke or jumped off the wall to come after her. Shit.

She turned tail and ran, like Sephiroth instructed her to, leading them to the spot where she left to plant the bomb. Gun shots pealed after her, grazing, but never hitting since she was moving around. She got to the trees when Sephiroth suddenly exploded from the underbrush and cut down seven of the charging masses. Nichole took this as the sign to start helping, skidding to a stop and unleashing thunder on the closest few Wutai. Sephiroth was a beast, already he had taken a third of the number down. Not to be comparatively undone, Nichole released both her blades and began to scrap with four of the Wutai at once. She evaded the blades and swiped Hellfire at their ankles, causing them to fall and scream in pain.

A star-crashing blow landed on the middle of her back and Nichols was knocked forward, barely rolling to her feet and turning. A giant of a Wutai man stood there menacingly, holding a heavy metal staff in both his hands. She stood up, cringing in pain at the sure-to-leave-a-mark hit.

She raised Hellfire and Angelsong in challenge, the man grunting and twirling the heavy rod like it was a simply baton. He lashed out, Nichole diving to the side and sinking the tip of Angelsong into his upper thigh. He didn't even flinch, the staff crashing down nearly on top of her again. She dodged every single one of his slow attacks, making lots of small hits herself, never able to get close enough for a lethal shot.

The man acted like he barely even feel her attacks, turning slowly to face her once again. He twirled the rod around more, spinning the blade so fast that it began to spark with electricity. She slammed the tip into the ground, sending electric pulses towards her. Nichole quickly charged Thunder into Hellfire, the electricity merely snapping into the metal instead of hurting her, like he had planned.

Now with an exceptionally charged attack thanks to her blade absorbing his, she darted forward and tapped his midsection with her blade, blinding flashes of lighting, coursing through him and zapping over his skin. Having been shocked into cardiac arrest the big man stumbled back and fell dead. Only a few Wutai remained now, the big man making them feel like easy pickings for Nichole. Her back and shoulder ached terribly, so she quickly cast cure to ease the pain and effects of the blow.

She sighed in relief as the cool energy of Cure washed over her, dulling the pain significantly and she looked towards Sephiroth, who was finishing off the last warrior. The general looked towards her.

"Nichole, are you alright? I saw that hit." He asked, concern buried deep into the blank slate of his voice. Thank the Turk training she had been taught to listen for things like that. It made talking to Sephiroth easier.

"It'll leave a nasty bruise, but I don't think he broke anything." She informed him, still in somewhat high spirits even though she could have just been paralyzed or killed.

"Glad to hear it. Let's get back to rendezvous." He commanded and Nichole put Angelsong in its resting position.

"Let's." She agreed, and they went back into the forest. The infantrymen were escorting Lazard, keeping the field-worthless bastard safe.

"Sephiroth! Angeal and Zack may need help!" Lazard called, the general nodding. He glanced at Nichole and jerked his head in a 'Follow me' gesture. Nichole ran after Sephiroth, through the trail ahead she could make out a lot of fire and some roaring. There was an Ifrit summon!

Zack was alone, about to be attacked from behind by said summon, but Sephiroth flashed forward, slicing the attack into pieces and cutting down Ifrit, making it explode into flames that faded in an instant. Nichole looked at the two troopers on the ground as the landscape returned to normal. She kneeled and took one of the helmets off, seeing they weren't Wutai and jumped back surprised.

"Genesis!" She cried out in shock, having not expected such a thing. Sephiroth was calm however, removing the helmet off the other fallen man, also showing Genesis' face.

"They're identical!" Zack stated, shocked just as Nichole was. Sephiroth looked at the two.

"Genesis copies." Sephiroth stated dully.

"Copies? A human copy?" Zack questioned, seeming perplexed.

"Where is Angeal?" Sephiroth demanded, seeming disturbed and slightly angered. Nichole was still staring at the copies. How in the Hell was this even possible? None of this made any sense.

"I thought he was fighting around here." Zack stated, taking a few steps away, looking around. Sephiroth grunted disappointed.

"So he's gone, too." Sephiroth stated, standing up.

"What?" Zack questioned, looking back at Sephiroth. Nichole pinched the bridge of her nose. "Wait, what does that mean?" Zack questioned as Sephiroth began to move away from the copies.

"It means Angeal, has betrayed us as well." Answered flatly, Nichole looking at the ground. Why Angeal? It didn't seem like him to leave, but… He wasn't here now was he?

"No way! I know what kind of guy Angeal is. And he'd never do that!" Zack insisted, as Sephiroth took a few steps away. The general turned back and looked at Zack, who began to back away.

"Zack, please." Nichole called, trying to calm the young man, but he shook his head.

"Angeal would never betray us! Never!" Zack hollered, making a negative gesture with his arms. The stare down was consumed by silence. Nichole looking back and forth between them. Sephiroth was most likely right, but Zack's passionate response was hard to ignore.

"No matter what the cause of Angeal's disappearance is, we can't do anything about it now. I'm sure Director Lazard is waiting for us." Nichole tried to grab their attention. Sephiroth actually looked away and nodded towards her, turning to head back the way they came. Nichole looked back at Zack who stood there looking upset and frustrated.

"He would never do this to us." Zack said quietly making Nichole nod in agreement.

"I agree it doesn't make any sense, but he isn't here now. We have to move on and roll with the punches, you know?" Nichole assured him. Zack sighed and his shoulders sagged a little bit.

"I guess you're right. Maybe he'll turn up sometime soon." He muttered hopefully and Nichole patted his shoulder guard.

"I'm sure he will Zack. I'm sure he will."

A/N- This scene should sound familiar to people who have played Crisis. I'm trying to keep this as accurate as possible so I'm literally taking lines out of cut scenes. And just because I haven't done one yet (I always forget) I DON"T OWN FF& OR ANYTHING RELATED EXCEPT FOR THE PURCHASABLE GAMES AND KNOWABLE INFORMATION! Thank you. R&R and don't forget your computers cookies! (Don't you dare delete them! :[ LOL) Next up is Banora! Originally this one was to be Nichole's first mission, but then I realizes that Sephiroth was supposed to go on it, and it wouldn't make sense to put a first time mission from the face of Soldier onto two 2nd classes, one of which has no field experience. So Wutai it was! And B Unit was the perfect place for Nichole! ^^ chapters will get longer depending on the mission/assignment, but I will update as frequently as possible.

[EDITED]


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nichole stared at the ceiling blankly, ignoring the loudening tones of the alarm clock going off. It had been a month since the mission to Wutai and the war was finally over. Wutai was still very much royally pissed at ShinRa, but the fighting was generally over. Nichole's electric blue eyes shut and she groaned loudly, flipping the switch on the now deafening alarm clock. She rolled to the side and pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the bed.

Angeal still hasn't come back. Zack seemed convinced he was slacking, but everyone else knew different. Angeal was no slacker. He held his duty to the highest priority, no matter the circumstances. Nichole stood up, getting dressed in her SOLDIER garb.

Sephiroth had actually been quite helpful lately. He would give her the more simple missions he received, though they were little in number, so she would have something to do. He even was beginning to show the slightly hidden humorous side of him. It was dry and witty humor, but she was a smart girl nonetheless.

Nichole pulled her hair back in its normal ponytail, sitting back on the edge of the bed, debating whether to go back to sleep or not. Her phone suddenly beeped with a message, drawing her attention. Nichole flipped open the black covered device and opened her inbox. It was from Sephiroth.

It read: Go to the briefing room about eleven. Lazard should be sending you on a mission today. I was supposed to go myself, but… I'm afraid of what I would find there. You and Zack Fair should be going together with a Turk. Since you are in both Turk and SOLDIER I have also received consent from Veld for you to attend and participate in this mission. Good Luck.

Nichole looked at the phone processing for a minute. She would be going on a mission that was designated for Sephiroth. Not just a simple monster infestation or Wutai rebellion clean-up. But an actual assignment ranked for a 1st Class SOLDIER. She jumped up and grabbed Hellfire and Angelsong off of the wall, where they rested in strong supporting hangers, and strapped them to her back, tightening the belts around her chest. She would be ready.

Leaving the apartment, she dipped her head to Rude, being the only other up. The stoic man was always the first on up. He was a morning person, always something to be afraid of. She grabbed a to-go cup of coffee and hissed as the hot liquid scalded her tongue.

"Yo, that coffee's hot, ya know?" Nichole deadpanned, looking over her shoulder to glare at Reno.

"No crap. Move fire crotch." She brushed by him, leaving the Turks floor with a disgruntled face. She hated Reno's guts. Ever since the day she first met him and he grabbed her butt. Last time he ever touched her too. He was in a hospital bed for a week. She promised him a month in bed, the next time he touched her. It seemed to keep him away. Good. She hated flirty red headed people.

The elevator binged open to the SOLDIER floor, revealing that no one was awake to be here just yet. Nichole strode to the lounge section and sat on a couch, crossing her ankles and sipping black coffee. The SOLDIER floor had coffee machines too, but they used weak, crappy grounds. The Turks had much better coffee. The first person she saw was Kunsel, unsurprisingly. He was also a morning person and a damn energetic one at that.

"Good morning, Miss Nichole!"

"Good and morning, do not belong in a sentence together. Please use proper grammar next time." She monotone, making Kunsel laugh.

"You're more chipper than usual, on this fine and lovely morning!" Kunsel grinned.

"Whatever. I can't even tell it's morning, I mean. The sky is always covered by smog. It could be midnight right now and none of us would know!" Nichole tossed a hand up in the air, sipping more of her coffee. Kunsel looked at her drink and made a face.

"You drink the coffee?"

"Correction! I drink the 'Turk' coffee. I swear they put speed in this stuff." Nichole said, actually beginning to be awake, thanks to the dose of caffeine. Kunsel laughed again.

"Very chipper this morning, indeed!" He stated heartily. Nichole shrugged.

"It's the coffee. Without it I'd still be the zombie that rolled out of bed this morning." She responded matter-of-factly. Kunsel nodded.

"I can see it. Hair not neat and up and bed-headed, probably wearing an old shirt and sweatpants, no?" Nichole wasn't laughing now. How the hell…

"Do you watch me when I wake up or something?" She asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes a bit. Kunsel shook his head chuckling.

"Nah. I'm too modest for that. I just have a good intuition I suppose. I also have my resources." He said slyly, grinning as Nichole scowled silently. She was going to choke Cissnei the next time they met, little blabber mouth!

Nichole was dozing in the lounge room as Zack did his normal thing in the lounge area. She bolted up when her phone beeped, a message from Tseng asking for her to go to the briefing room. She stood up and stretched, yawning and walking down the hall to get to said room. The door slid open and she walked into the little supply pod room, checking the pods. She dug out a Fira and a Cura. She pulled her blades out, switching Fire with Fira and Cure with Cura, leaving the two un-needed materia in the pod for some lucky person.

Lazard was in the briefing room by himself. Did she get called too early? The blonde Director looked at her and gestured to the seat to his right.

"Sit. We need to talk about this assignment." Nichole felt some weird vibes off of the older man as she cautiously sat down. Her fingers twitched in anxiety, wanting to act, but having no real initiative too.

"So what is this about? Why didn't Zack get called too?" She asked, getting a slowly held up hand in a quiet gesture. Nichole watched him, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Sephiroth has been pulling quite a number of strings for you lately. I'm aware that you have been going in his place for some missions. Any particular reasons?" Lazard asked looking at her. Nichole scowled and crossed her arms.

"If you're insinuating that we are together I can say your assumption is negative. He's been kind enough to help me further my goals by allowing me to take some of the simpler missions he was assigned. You practically work him to death anyways; I wouldn't doubt a side reason was to get some rest." Nichole said firmly, quite offended in Lazard's snooping and lack of trust for her or Sephiroth in this matter.

"Then what is the main reason?" Lazard pressed, unbelieving of her answer.

"Why don't you ask him? He's never told me why, but I assume it's because I haven't received anything else from you after Wutai, while all the others get assignments and missions out the wazoo!" She practically snarled, electric blue eyes flashing dangerously. "Maybe he sees the potential that you wouldn't ever see, even if it came and slapped you in the face!"

"Perhaps. Sephiroth did evaluate your performance in Wutai, saying you had uncanny precision and un-wavering focus."

"I'm a different person on the field." Nichole stated quietly, looking dead into Lazard's face. He cringed seeing the flat emotions in her eyes, none of the irritation left, replaced by a cold determined look. So this is what Sephiroth saw. Even before she was on the field, he saw this inside of her. The passionate energy and determined spirit of the girl.

"I see. Prove yourself to me, Nichole. Prove it to everyone." He said, now seeing the girl's purpose in SOLDIER. Sephiroth was SOLDIER's weapon. Angeal was SOLDIER's honor. Genesis was SOLDIER's cunning. Zack was SOLDIER's energy. This girl… Nichole… was SOLDIER's determination. Lazard leaned forward, leaning his forehead on his hands. He was satisfied with what he had gotten out of her. Not only her words, but her body language and intensity as well.

"Any word on Angeal?" Zack came out Lazard's side, Nichole listening quietly. She was rather perturbed. Lazard had insulted her, then questioned her, then made a demand of her. A demand that she was already striving to do. She would prove herself. And then she would rub Lazard's face in it.

"He hasn't contacted his family either." Lazard replied to Zack, looking at him. Zack grunted, in disappointment.

"So what's this about?" Zack questioned.

"A new assignment. I want you and Nichole to go to the hometown of missing Soldier 1st class Genesis." Lazard looked at them both. Nichole listened quietly. Genesis was that big of a deal hmm?

"According to the parents, they've had no contact with Genesis whatsoever." Lazard kept speaking.

"And who ever trusts the parents?" Nichole muttered, leaning back in the chair, crossing her arms.

"Why not trust them?" Zack asked Nichols.

"They're his family." Lazard answered for her. Nichole nodded, huffing. Zack hummed in understanding "I've already dispatched some staff, but we've lost contact. I want you to go and investigate. Along with you both, he will go with you." Lazard glanced to the door. Nichole looked as well, surprised, but also not surprised, to see Tseng walking in to stand by Lazard and Zack.

"Tseng, of the Turks." He greeted Zack.

"This job is looking really gloomy." Zack stated. Nichole laughed wryly once, shaking her head.

"No kidding." She muttered, standing up from her seat, looking at Tseng. The Turk nodded and looked at them both.

"Zack, Nichole, let me know when you're ready to go." Tseng instructed then, in a friendly manner. Nichole just sat there as Zack went to go prepare. She was already ready to go. Zack came back a short time later, Nichole still in a state of vexed silence. Lazard was just irking her now.

"Ready to go? Tseng asked. Zack put his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner.

"A routine job, right? No sweat!" Zack confirmed, a bit too confident.

"I wonder… Originally, Sephiroth was assigned to do this mission. That means, it's a top-priority matter." Tseng looked at Zack. "Be alert, or you'll fail."

"And Sephiroth?" Zack questioned. Nichole grunted, crossing her arms in front of her chest, glancing at Lazard. The blonde man seemed extremely distracted.

"Refusing to go, apparently." Tseng replied, glancing at Nichole. She glanced up feeling the Turks eyes and shrugged, looking away again. She had the reason, but it wasn't her reason to share.

"Oh, what is that? They spoil him too much." Zack commented. Tseng grunted in amusement.

"Why don't you say that to his face?" Tseng replied. Nichole scoffing and shaking her head. Zack chuckled nervously, putting his hands into a praying gesture.

"Ah, no thanks!" The spikey haired male replied anxiously. Nichole looked at Zack, smirking amused.

"Nobody would have the guts to tell Sephiroth that to his face. For one they wouldn't have those guts for very long afterwards and two he works a lot harder than everyone thinks he does." Nichole pushed herself off the wall, walking over to Tseng and Zack. Tseng nodded in agreement. Zack humphed and shrugged.

"Let's get going. The helicopter is already on the pad waiting." Tseng informed them. Nichole nodded, looking at Tseng. He was all business most of the time; she had to wonder what he was really thinking. They took the elevator up to the Air Control floor and walked out to the pad. True enough, there sat a helicopter waiting for them.

Nichole stood as the helicopter lifted off, holding one of the safety handles suspended from the ceiling. She and Tseng wore headsets, while Zack merely wore sound-protection from the loud engine above their heads.

"Sure beats sitting around and watching flower girl, huh, Tseng?" Nichole commented, looking back at the ponytailed Turk. He smirked.

"It sure beats sitting around, waiting for Sephiroth to hand you one of his missions." Nichole scowled playfully.

"Technically, he did hand me another mission. And I don't care where the mission comes from; a mission is a mission and should be treated like it was yours from the start!" She shot back, Tseng chuckling as the helicopter took on some speed.

"I suppose this is true. Why do you suppose he gives you missions?" Tseng asked.

"I'm not really sure myself, but I think he saw how Lazard was holding me back. Even if Wutai he let me take some high priority responsibilities at Tamblin. Lazard said something about Sephiroth seeing potential as SOLDIER. Another reason is that he gets worked to death and minor missions can be handled easily by me. I mean, he gave me one to go slay a bunch of wimpy little monsters in the caves!" Nichole exclaimed, Tseng nodding in understanding.

"It seems like he is mentoring you from afar. He told Veld to stop taking you lightly earlier this week. It's hard to believe that he has taken a liking to you." Tseng commented. Nichole made a face.

"Lazard tried to confront me earlier too; he thought Sephiroth and I were having some sort of weird ass affair where I got missions from him in exchange for…. Ugh, one that's gross, two it's not even right, and three that's REAAALY gross!" Nichole made a throw up face and Tseng laughed.

"Anything could happen. Though Sephiroth acting that way is extremely far-fetched." Tseng agreed. "Even more so, you doing those things. You tend to avoid men contact most of the time." Nichole furrowed her eyebrows. She avoided contact with men?

"What do you mean by that?" Nichole asked.

"You don't really talk to many males unless you have to or they are the only ones around. If Cissnei were here, wouldn't you rather be talking with her?" Tseng questioned, raising an eyebrow. Nichole was perplexed. Tseng seemed to notice everything, and he was right. If Cissnei was here they would be talking, not her and Tseng.

"You didn't even realize it did you?" Tseng asked again and Nichols shook her head.

"Not at all. I guess it's just being around guys all the time, I want some female interaction, ya know? Like if you were stuck with a bunch of girls you would automatically cling to the next man that walked in." She stated and Tseng nodded slowly.

"Seems fair." He replied and the pilot buzzed into their conversation.

"Fifteen until we reach out destination." He buzzed back out and Nichols grunted.

"What do you suppose we will find here?" Nichole asked, looking out of the windshield to see the tiny speck of a town in the distance. Tseng barely shrugged one shoulder.

"Could be anything." They looked on, silence sweeping over them. Zack seemed to have been absorbed by the scenery the entire time. He was too easily entertained by things.

The trees stood in great arches over the paths towards the town, the great white trunks in semi-circles, shading the dirt path. Nichole looked around quietly, keeping a few steps behind Tseng. Zack was lagging, once again wrapped up in the scenery.

"Weird looking trees." Zack stated as he jogged to catch up to the pair ahead of him. Nichole grunted in agreement.

"Never seen anything like them before." She added, admiring the silvery-blue apples that grew on the trees. Wait, apples?

"These are Banora White trees." Tseng stated, looking at the strange trees himself.

"Dumbapples!" Nicholai exclaimed, suddenly connecting the dots. Angeal had told her about them once, the SOLDIER finding it amusing she had never heard of them. Tseng nodded.

"Wait that means were in Banora." Zack shifted his feet, looking around then at Tseng. "Angeal's hometown?"

"That is correct." Tseng affirmed. "Genesis and Angeal have known each other for a very long time." Nichole frowned a bit. Would Angeal be here with genesis as well? They started to walk the path again, alarming two Genesis copies that were standing in the path. Nichole was about to dart forward, but Zack darted in front of her and cut the two waiting copies down. Nichole lowered her hands from her sword grips and hummed in approval. She and Zack were on the same level here, but she admired his speed and enthusiasm.

"These guys! I saw them in Wutai too " Zack exclaimed, looking at the two slain men on the dirt. Nichole nodded and looked at them.

"Genesis is definitely up to something here." Nichole looked at Tseng, who nodded his agreement.

"We haven't seen any of the townspeople; they might have control of the entire town." Tseng informed them. Nichole scowled a bit, heart striking a fire against Genesis. Why would he do these things against his own home's people? Tseng continues, "When Genesis left, he took a large arsenal of weapons with him. The president's orders are to retrieve and or destroy these weapons immediately upon discovery."

"Leave it to me." Zack demanded, pumping his fist in the air. He glanced at Nichole, who raised an eyebrow at him. He grinned somewhat boyishly. "You too, Nichole. Don't sweat over me. I've got this." Zack didn't wait for a response; he just turned and ran off towards the town. Nichole sniffed.

"I'm not sure whether to be complimented that he took the lackeys job or offended that he thinks me incapable." Nichole stated, crossing her arms, eyes following the spikey haired man. Tseng chuckled once,

"He doesn't think differently of you, Nichole. He just wants to make 1st and make a good impression of himself for you. You didn't get to see him in Wutai." Tseng replied to her, the pair left alone again. Nichole grunted.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Zack is a little too innocent to be openly sexist like that." Nichole agreed. The pair walked down the path, Nichole unable to take her eyes off of the silver apples. She snagged one off a tree and looked at it. It was just like any other apple, but the smell was insane. Apple blossom scent was heavy all around the fruit, the fragrance making Nichole hold it away from her face. It smelled like a pungent apple blossom, not an apple itself.

"Strong smell?" Tseng asked, amused. Nichole glared at him.

"You let me make that mistake you little twit!" She cried, making the Wutai man laugh quietly. How dare he! Nichole puffed her bottom lip out and glared daggers at the ebony haired man.

:I thought you were going to eat it. They taste much better than they smell." He spoke. She could tell he was lying, he was too amused by her smelling the fruit.

"Silver tongue. I'm not Zack, you can't lie to me." She shook her head to emphasis this and began to walk away, fruit in hand. Tseng chuckled some more and followed her. The path wasn't really that long, taking only five minute to traverse up to the city square. Zack stood away from the destructed remains of a spider mech, looking down at two more copies.

"A genesis copy." He stated to himself as they walked up behind him.

"Where did you hear that?" Tseng questioned. Nichole looked at the other trooper, revealing Genesis's face as well.

"Sephiroth said it." Zack answered Tseng, the Turk nodding a bit. Nichole stood up and walked to Zack, looking up at him for a moment before following after Tseng.

"The technology was stolen, from our scientists." Tseng turned around, looking at both Nichole and Zack. "It apparently allows Genesis's traits and abilities to be transplanted, to SOLDIER members and," The Turk paused. "Monsters." Nichole looked away, Zack looking down.

"SOLDIER and monsters… are we the same?" Zack asked to no one. Nichole scowled at this.

"SOLDIER aren't monsters. SOLDIER are human. We care for things and people, we protect what we love and fight for what we believe in." She insisted passionately, looking from Tseng to Zack. "Monsters believe in nothing. That is why they are monsters." The silence caused by her words was nearly tangible, choking the trio of ShinRa members.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to say it like that." Tseng said quietly, turning away. Zack sighed and looked at the ground, deep in thought. Nichole didn't say anything else. Tseng didn't mean it, she was more set off by what Zack said then him. The three began to walk towards the houses, the first one they came upon was a large two story cottage, having a giant Banora White shading the path to the house.

"This is Genesis's home. His parents are wealthy landowners." Tseng told them as he walked closer. Nichole clicked her tongue to her teeth.

"They weren't merely acquaintances. They grew up together, and were best friends." Tseng continued, looking at the house.

"So Genesis deserts, gets his best friend Angeal to join him." Zack stated questioningly. "Is that it?"

"Sephiroth believes that's the case." Tseng answered, glancing at Zack.

Nichole was quiet, eyes searching the area and the ground for any sign of people or recent activity. She caught something off under the base of the Banora tree, a moderately sized patch of over turned ground. She narrowed her eyes. A large stone was placed on top of this patch.

"Tseng." She called the man's attention and pointed at the turned up dirt.

"A grave stone." He stated, confirming her suspicion. "Still very new." Tseng turned to the other male. "Zack, go find Angeal's house. Nichole and I will check the grave." The Turk began to head to the dirt, Nichole going ahead of him and moving the large grave marker out of the way.

"So Turks always do this stuff?" Zack asked, somewhat disgusted. Nichole smirked having a sense of where this conversation was leading to.

"Someone has to do it." Tseng replied, walking forward as Zack stopped.

"Must be rough." He muttered, watching as Nichole moved the smaller stoned out of the way.

"Don't worry. We're paid much better than you are." Tseng answered, Nichole snorting and breaking out into a large amused grin. There it was. Zack cried out in shock, looking at them wide eyed.

"No way!" He insisted, looking at Nichole for help. She nodded a bit.

"I will attest, I get paid a week of SOLDIER salary for a single mission from Veld." She confirmed Tseng's statement, making Zack groan, putting his hands behind his head.

"Man, this stinks." Zack murmured, beginning to walk off in the direction of the other houses. The dirt was easy to dig back up, still being soft from the recent excavation. Nichole hit fabric first, making her jerk back in alarm. Tseng glanced at her before brushing the dirt away, revealing a Turk uniform. Nichole backed off, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth with her eyes shut. She could handle killing and blood and gore, but she never could get past the dead bodies. Animal and monster bodies were fine, but she hated being around dead people. She hated morgues, she hated cemeteries, she hates hospitals, and she hated being around dead people. It made her queasy and squeamish.

"Our staff and genesis's parents." Tseng confirmed, laying the bodies back into the ground, beginning to cover them back up with the dirt. Nichole quickly opened her eyes and began to help again, silently. She felt like vomiting because she touched a dead man. Once the grave stones were replaced, the pair brushed themselves off and began to head where Tseng had said there was a factory. I dispatched a few of the Genesis copies around with Fira, surprised at the high level of activity the materia had seen before I acquired it.

"What should we do?" Tseng asked Nichole, wanting to see if she benefitted from her Turks training. Nichole looked around the factory. Genesis copies were all outside of the place, going in and out. Across the circular canyon in the cliffs, there was a shorter ledge, about ten feet over the factory roof.

"That cliff over there. It's a good vantage point and we could go in front the top instead of having to fight all the copies at the front door." She looked at Tseng who nodded in affirmation.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"What about Zack? There will be conflict inside as well, all of us would benefit with him being there." Nichole questioned. Tseng nodded again.

"Let's get to the cliff first and see what's going on inside."

Nichole didn't listen as Tseng informed Zack of the situation, his cell phone only providing half of the conversation she already knew. It looked like there was a platform inside that they could land on if they broke through the glass. Nichole wouldn't be heavy enough, however, they would need Zack's extra muscle and weight. Tseng went over her and kneeled a foot away from her, finding the exact thing she did on the inside.

Zack skid into a crouching stop next to Nichole. She glanced at him, backing off so he could take a better look.

"Genesis's parents were in that grave." Tseng told Zack.

"Wait he… his own family?" Zack seemed in disbelief, Nichole's queasiness returning being reminded of the dead bodies. She was glad Tseng didn't make her do anymore after digging them up.

"We can't expect reason from him. What about Angeal?" Tseng turned the conversation, Nichole taking Zack's former position, peering over the bigger male's shoulder. Zack shook his head.

"He wasn't at the house." He replied, disappointment evident. "But please! Give me time! If I find Angeal, I can talk to him! If I convince Angeal, maybe Genesis will come back too." Zack said emphatically, Nichole nodding her agreement.

"Zack can do this. Nobody was closer to Angeal as a mentee than Zack. I'm not sure about Genesis, though Angeal returning would be a huge reason to. He would still be facing a lot of problems if he returns to ShinRa." Nichole said, implying Zack's same hope, but having a bit more of a realistic view on his opinion.

"I understand why Sephiroth chose you now." Tseng said, looking at them both. Zack made a confused noise. "Genesis and Angeal. Those two were Sephiroth's only friends. He didn't want to fight them. That's why Sephiroth refused the mission." Nichole was grim faced. How did Tseng put all this together? She only knew because Sephiroth actually told her, but… Tseng… He didn't even need to know that to find out the reason why.

"Well, Angeal is my friend too." Zack said, looking at the building.

"He's counting on you, to bring them both back." Tseng told Zack. The young man made a small noise of contempt as Tseng stood. "Time is short, let's go."

"Zack, you go first, I'm afraid I won't break the glass since I'm smaller." Nichole said, earning an amused look from Zack.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fat I get it!" Zack said before running to jump down, easily going through the thick panes. Nichole huffed, an amused smirk forming on her face. Tseng followed Zack, and a few second later, Nichole followed. Zack was already facing off with three Genesis copies, so Nichole just jogged after Tseng, who was getting out of the way. She knew he had a deadly handgun under that jacket of his, but he was probably just humoring Zack.

They went down the stairs, off of the platforms, Tseng leading the way into an office-like room, going to the computer and beginning to hack the system there. Nichole looked around at the various books, finding a few reports by Hollander, she narrowed her eyes and picked them up, showing the handwritten papers to Tseng. He paused and looked at them.

"Keep them safe. Any evidence will be used to prosecute Hollander if he is indeed involved." Tseng said. Nichole nodded and shoved the pages into her bag. Thoroughly searching the room, she found a vast amount of research and reports done by Hollander, some looked new, most were old. Zack came in a few moments after she was done, Tseng telling him that copies were being made in the factory and to check the upstairs.

"Could Hollander really be involved in this?" Nichole questioned to herself, not expecting Tseng's answer.

"He has motive, but I don't see him here. Only all the reports you've dug up." He stated, abandoning the computer and walking to follow Zack. Nichole nodded and followed, readying Angelsong expecting the worst. Tseng broke into a run as they heard a voice, reading LOVELESS. Zack didn't like that kind of thing. Nichole followed suit, drawing Hellfire as well, coming upon the last room where Genesis sat by a window, looking smug with himself.

Nichole noticed a large metal tube with a small window to look inside, she peered in, seeing another Genesis copy.

"The grave at the house. We found the remains of our people there as well." Tseng stated, glaring at Genesis. Any normal person would have been afraid, but Genesis merely brushed it away.

"It didn't take much to have them send false reports. Just some mild threats." Genesis said scornfully. Nichole grit her teeth watching the scene, gripping her twin blades tightly, her knuckles cracking.

"They would have done that anyway! At least your parents would have!" Zack shot back, Tseng moving to confront the 1st class SOLDIER.

"My 'parents' betrayed me. They had always betrayed me, from the very beginning." Genesis told them, standing up. Genesis seemed to notice Nichole for the first time as she stepped forward, in-between Zack and Tseng, glaring at him with the MAKO eyes.

"What do you know… ShinRa lapdogs!" Genesis exclaimed, quickly charging a Firaga attack. Nichole was able to block the one directed at her, but she saw Tseng fly back and hit the wall. Angeal had suddenly appeared, blocking the attack meant for Zack with Zack's own sword.

"Tseng!" Nichole called out, putting Hellfire away, moving to the injured Turk. She took Cura out of Angelsong and activated the materia. Nichole glanced back at the two firsts seeming at a draw, helping Tseng sit up. She let the energy flow from the Cura, settling over Tseng and healing the burns and impact bruises. There were still slight red burns, but they were minor compared to what they were. Zack was running after Angeal and Genesis now, pausing while looking at Tseng and Nichole.

"I've got him, just go get them!" Nichole demanded and Zack bolted through the door again, not needing to be told twice.

"Nichole, my shoulder… took the brunt of it." Tseng hissed out, gritting his teeth. Nichole re-directed the flow of energy towards Tseng's left shoulder, hearing the quiet clicking of bones reforming. Nichole grimaced for him that had been quite a hit. She stopped the flow of energy, feeling a bit drained after the quite lengthy healing.

"Better?" Nichole asked, Tseng nodded standing himself up surprisingly. Nichole stood as well. He must have a high pain tolerance, and his shoulder wasn't fully healed yet, a materia could only do so much.

"Let's go assist Zack." Tseng stated, pulling his gun out, Nichole frowned a bit, but nodded.

"You stay out of the line of fire. Nobody needs to get you more hurt than before." Nichole stated, replacing Cura into his holder and then readying Hellfire. Tseng grunted in acknowledgment and they began to jog down from the upstairs. Zack was fighting two black feline-ish creatures, Tseng quickly fired off two bullets, hitting each creature in the head, killing them. Zack looked, surprised that Tseng was up and moving already. Nichole smirked and nodded to him.

"There's no time Zack, we must leave now." Tseng insisted, Zack protesting.

"We're not going to go look for those two?"

"All evidence of misconduct must be erased. Company rules." Tseng informed him. Nichole could sense the strain in his voice, he was pushing it. "An airstrike will neutralize this town." Tseng explained further. Zack seemed a bit shocked, but looked towards the town. Three more of the feline-ish creatures jumped towards them, Nichole readying her blades, charging Thunder in Hellfire and Blizzard in Angelsong, making the swords respectively spark with electricity and glitter with ice.

"Zack are you sure no one was at Angeal's home?" Tseng asked, Zack pausing and glancing at them. "Hurry!" Tseng demanded, the first creature being cut down with Angelsong and the second being electrocuted by Hellfire. Zack ran out the door, Tseng beginning to shoot at the remaining two felines.

The third beast recoiled and slashed at Nichole as she faced off with the second beast. It's claws ripped through her lower back and waist, the woman gritting her teeth to stifle the cry of pain. Tseng shot the second beast in the head as Nichole whirled around and cut the third's head clean off. She growled in pain, Hellfire falling from her left hand as she grabbed the painful wound. Tseng went to her, picking up Hellfire, the blade weighted improperly for his hand, and looked at the wound. Four gashes were present going from shallow at the top cut to deep at the bottom cut. Nichole activated Cura again, sending the energy to her wound, the first two cut's healing to scabs, but the deeper two only half-healing, remaining open and bleeding. She would need medical attention as soon as they returned.

Tseng pulled out his phone, calling the helicopter to land for them in the factory courtyard, then to delay the airstrike. Nichole pulled out her phone then, calling Zack to tell him about the airstrike.

"Nichole?! Is everything alright?"

"Airstrike was delayed. You have five minutes. The helicopter is coming to get me and Tseng, we'll get you at the plaza okay?" Nichole quickly told him earning an approval from Zack. She suddenly saw ten large rounds get fired off from somewhere in the factory headed towards town. "Zack you have ten rounds incoming. You know what to do." Nichole informed him, then hanging up so she wouldn't distract him.

"I called the ShinRa building. They will have medics waiting at the pad for you." Tseng told her as she put her phone away.

"You too. Your shoulder is still jacked up." She said dryly, pain shooting down her left leg and up her left side. "Man. I got hurt by turning my back in Wutai. I've gotta stop doing that." She muttered, spying the helicopter starting to land. The wind buffeted them, but they quickly got on. Nichole stood again, not wanting to open the wounds by sitting. Tseng stood as well, waiting by the door so he could get Zack inside.

As they flew over the town, Nichole's attention was grabbed by the appearance of a summon circle. She watched wide-eyed as the surrounding changed, and a large dragon-like creature appeared, challenging Zack.

"Tseng! A Bahamut summon! Zack is gonna need more than five minutes!" She exclaimed now worried for the safety of her comrade. Tseng nodded and pulled out his phone again, calling to explain and delay the airstrike once again. Everyone in the helicopter watched as Zack fiercely battled the summon, facing off with Genesis afterwards.

Nichole inhaled sharply as Genesis unfurled a malformed jet black wing. He then flew away, with only one wing, she didn't know how, but he did. Zack stood there for a moment, looking after him before hearing the airstrike coming and bolting away from the town. He ran to the cliff we came at, the helicopter stopping to pick him up. Nichole watched in silence as the bombs tore up the town, setting everything, even the Banora White trees on fire. Nichole pulled the silver apple from her bag, looking at it and sighed heavily.

Banora was no more than a memory now.

A/N- Holy crap. So much words. I knew starting this chapter it would be around six thousand words, but holy crap. It took me so much longer than I thought it would. I had to replay the Banora mission to get the cut scenes and happenings right. Like I had completely forgotten the fight Zack had with the Bahamut summon. . And I couldn't remember the name of those weird looking black cat things with the red tentacle coming out of its head. I knew it once, but I forgot. Meh. I need to learn the names of the monsters. It would help people identify them I think. R&R if you're reading. I'd love to have some feedback, even though in my family no news is good news right? I dunno.

[EDITED]


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nichole winced as the doctors cleaned her wound again. Couldn't they just stitch it up already?! Nichole held in a curse again as they probed too deep into the skin. Zack had gone to report with Lazard and Tseng had gone off to who know where. Little rat, she would get his shoulder looked at later. Even if she had to actually break the thing again herself!

"SON OF A….." Nichole cried out, trailing off so she wouldn't curse at the doctor. The man chuckled as he started the first stitch. She winced at the needle every time, digging her nails into the bed sheet. It took the doctor ten minutes to stitch both of the deep wounds, only putting a salve on the top two.

"I want you to be off for at least two weeks. SOLDIER heal faster, but Make sure those wounds don't get infected." The doctor told her as she pushed herself up easily, making sure to not tear the stitched. Next she had to be wrapped with bandages from her rib line to her hips, keeping the wounds secure. Nichole huffed and put her shirt back on, not bothering with the shoulder guards or her blades.

"Oh hey doc," She called for the man's attention. He looked at her. "Tseng got a jacked up shoulder. I did what I could with Cura, but it still felt cracked. Shouldn't he get a sling or something?" Nichole asked and the doctor nodded.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll make sure Veld sends him down here to get checked out." The doctor confirmed, heading towards the phone. Nichole smiled triumphantly. She went back to the Turk floor, the elevator opening to reveal a not so happy looking Tseng. Nichole smiled sheepishly.

"You know it's for your own good." She said as they passed each other. Tseng grunted in acknowledgment before the doors shut taking him back to the infirmary level. Nichole shook her head. He was such a workaholic he would work with a hurt shoulder. Nichole gently put a hand on the bandages as her wound began to throb. Some pain killers would knock her out so she wouldn't have to feel most of it. She was tired after the mission as well.

The dream was still the same, except for this time she faced the volcano and not the sea. The sea was calmer, but still had breaking waves and sea foam lining the bottom of the cliffs. Before the volcano stood a familiar sight. Banora and its trees stood unharmed by the explosions that had ravaged it. Nichole was still many miles away, but she saw it perfectly. The volcano was stagnant, but a rumble deep in the earth promised no good intentions later.

There was a woman, walking up the path. She was a stranger, with shoulder length dark hair and kind dark eyes. She was older, aged into the state she was in. She wore a simply white dress with a yellow wrap about her shoulders. She extended a hand towards Nichole, handing her a Silver Banora White apple, before walking away. Nichole watched, for what felt like hours, as the woman returned to her village. The earth roared suddenly, the volcano vomiting forth lava and smoke, the molten rock rushing down the slope of the mountain like a glowing river, entering the small village and burning it into nothing.

Nichole held the apple to her chest, having the last original piece of the place with her. The choking smell of the sulfur and smoke was blocked by the sweet, delicate scent of the Banora White Apple. The dumbapple.

Nichole bolted up, gasping out for air and at the sudden flash of hot pain in her side. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out as she stood up, going to her bag. She retrieved the silver apple from her bag and stared at it. She did have the last piece of Banora. Wanting to save it, Nichole went into the kitchen, grabbing a plate and a knife, cutting the fruit open, retrieving the seeds as carefully as she could. She put the small black seeds into a tiny draw-string bag. Tying the cords shut. One day those seeds would return to their home and they would grow new trees in the Banora soil.

Nichole sat at the kitchenette table and sighed, staring at the bag with the seeds. Why that same dream over and over again? And who was that old lady? She had never seen her before. Nichole rubbed her forehead, laying her head on the table to look at the seeds. No one could explain this stuff to her, but she would figure it out eventually. Both the volcano and the ocean represented two large things in her life. One destructive and one stagnant, though changing. Nichole shut her eyes again, feeling sleepy, not even bothering to turn the lights off or to move back to bed.

Nichole woke with an aching cramp in her neck and she hissed, trying to stretch the clenched muscle. She stood rubbing the sore spot and shuffled her feet over the carpet. The alarm clock was beeping again, signaling her not needed wake up. Nichole turned off the alarm and sighed. She supposed it was best to keep waking up at the same time, and then she wouldn't get lazy or over sleep when she healed up.

Nichole yawned and rubbed her neck, leaving her apartment to get some coffee. Rude was blank when she walked in, but she knew she was a sight. She was hurt so she didn't changed and was still in a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a baggy white shirt. Her hair was also ungroomed and probably looked a mess.

"Morning Rude." She greeted and he nodded to her.

"Good morning." Came his flat reply as she poured a cup of the strong black beverage. Nichole took her usual place on the couch and blew on the steaming cup. She wasn't really expecting to talk, but of course her expectations were always wrong.

"I heard you were injured." Rude stated a question more than a statement.

"Yeah, got clawed by a fiend. How'd you hear?" She asked, looking at the bald man.

"Tseng was complaining earlier about having his arm in a sling because of you." Rude replied. Nichole blinked; she hardly ever heard this man talk and he actually said a whole sentence.

"Well, he needs it! He got blasted into a metal MAKO chamber and broke the damn thing!" She explained, vexed at Tseng's complaint. He worked too hard to get screwed over by a simple injury like that.

"I think he's just irritated since he's not supposed to work for a week." Rude replied and Nichole snorted a bit.

"Probably. Stubbornest man ever." She said before getting up and glancing at Rude. "I'm going to get a shower, I'll see you around." She dismissed herself, drinking some of the cooling coffee to wake her up more. Man this shower was gonna suck.

She was right. The shower did suck. The warm water burnt like hades on dry grass to her wound. Nichole held back curses the entire time, unsavory words and thoughts flashing through her mind at Mach speed. The relief was like nothing else when she got out of the shower.

"Ugh, never turning my back to an enemy ever again." She mumbled to herself, re-wrapping the bandaged around her midsection to cover the wounds. She left the bathroom and dressed simply in a white V-neck blouse and a black knee-length skirt. She left her hair down to dry into waves, but abandoned all other girl-ish related things. She owned them, but she rarely touched them. That crap was left for the nights ShinRa had arranged company dances, that she had the misfortune of being required to go, or press conferences. She didn't really mind the women reporters; it was just the men that got on her nerves.

Nichole grabbed her cell phone and put in her skirt pocket, also slipping a small, but deadly knife into the waist of her skirt, clipping on the edge. When she entered the commons area again the whole room stopped and stared for a second. She glared at them, MAKO eyes burning bright.

"Take a picture it'll last longer!" The majority of the room went back to getting ready for work, but Cissnei strolled over looking at her.

"You look..."

"Don't even say it." Nichole interrupted, not wanting to be called cute or nice looking. Cissnei sighed, looking at her strangely.

"You are the epitome of a tomboy." She stated disappointed and Nichole huffed.

"I'm a SOLDIER. I don't think girly would fit in the job description." She said jokingly, managing to get a smile out of the other woman.

"So where you off to? Got a da-"

"Hell no. And I'm going down to the slums for a walk." She interrupted. Seriously, what the heck was with Cissnei and boys? Cissnei raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you aren't going to go fight monsters because you're stuck off duty for two weeks?" Cissnei inquired smugly, Nichole glaring down at her. The nerve of the Turks. Calling people out before they even get to where they are going.

"Ya know what, shut up!" Nichole said, now flustered and irritated, brushing past her friend and going to the elevator. Darn those stupid slow things! It finally opened and she hit the button for the Entrance, planning on doing just what Cissnei had said. Nichole grumbled irritated at Cissnei's perception skills. She was just as bad, if not worse than, Tseng! Tseng always caught everyone BEFORE they got into trouble. Crazy Turks.

The fountain plaza was quiet even for the early hour, making Nichole's senses perk up. It was hardly ever quiet in Midgar. She then found out why, the train's whistle blew off behind the buildings somewhere. The first shuttles of people had just arrived. Great, crowds. Nichole rolled her eyes and turned down LOVELESS Avenue, going to find one of the lesser known and hardly used pathways to get to the train. And since it was rarely traveled, the thing was usually riddles with Hedgehog Pies waiting to be picked off. The monsters in Midgar were weak, but vast in number. Just like the infantrymen.

Nichole withdrew the four inch long blade from her skirt and edged the wall of the path less traveled, finding no evidence of monsters. Strange, someone must have come by here recently. Very recently. Nichole emerged by the train station, unscathed and unconflicted by any obtsicles. She sheathed the knife again, not wanting to alarm anyone as she approached, smiling coyly at the infantryman standing guard at the end of the platform. She went to the train and punched in the code for the slums. The next train there would leave at 6: 30 sharp, in about fifteen minutes.

Nichole leaned on a wall, looking around, watching a young pair of children play by the train. They seemed so amazed by it, she smiled. Children were just so innocent, unknowing and uncaring of the struggles that went around them, being carefree and joyful at most times. Her smile faded a bit, thinking of her own rough childhood, not having a mother, being abandoned by her father, and watching her brother walk away. She winced visibly, looking at her feet.

She hadn't thought about her brother in a long time. Fexin Harp. She sighed, pulling back the last time she saw her brother's face. He still had the face of a young boy, even though he was seventeen. She was nine at the time; her father had gotten angry with Fexin for badmouthing ShinRa and what they stood for. She was too young to understand back then, but she knew when her brother left that he would never come back. He had black hair, cropped short with longer strands framing his face. His eyes were naturally blue, unlike her bright MAKO infused ones.

She turned back to the panel, typing in the registry, finding the next train for the Sector Seven train, instead of the Sector Four like she had been planning. There were always loads of people who disliked ShinRa in Sector Seven. It would only be right for him to be there. The next one was an hour away. Nichole sighed, walking back towards the fountain plaza, mind jumbled with thoughts and questions. Would he even talk to her if she found him? Was he even still alive? Was he happy?

Nichole stopped, blinking a few times. Why was she thinking so much about him? He left her behind and didn't look twice! He was still her brother, the more rational side of her thought. He was probably concerned, but wanted to stay distant. No one would be able to tell unless she found him. The fountain plaza was much busier now, the shops in LOVELESS Avenue opening for the morning. If she was going to Sector Seven she'd need some way to hide her eyes. She dipped into the first clothing store she saw and paid 30 gil for a dark hooded jacket, the best way to hide her eyes and blend in in the slums.

The train was scheduled for twenty minutes now, so she began walking back the paved path to the platform, the train just arriving as she got there. She stepped onto the train, wishing she had worn pants instead of a skirt. The skirt would get her into trouble if she ran into thugs down there. There were few people getting on here, a few glum looking night-riding infantryman standing with their rifles ready. As the train began to move, Nichole shrugged the jacket on, zipping it up all the way to hide most of her feminine features, save the skirt.

Sector Seven was the same as she remembered it, bleak and glum, filled with poor people. Children still played and many other people seemed happy just to be living another day. She felt unworthy to intrude here, but she wanted to find her brother. Fenix would be anywhere. He could have even left Midgar. Nichole's heart seemed to clench, she didn't want him gone. He didn't even say goodbye.

"Strolling into the more residential areas, she saw more children at play; She paused and watched them for a few moments, finding some slight ease in watching their carefree attitudes and optimistic bantering. Nichole was startled and went rigid as a child screamed, much too loudly and in terror to be safe. Nichole spotted the Hedgehog Pie before anyone else knew what to do with it, seeing the fiend charging up a Fire attack.

Instinct took over, running and knocking the frog-like pot-bellied creature so it lost its concentration. The monster let out a strange warbled croak, two more hopping out of dark places, scattering people and the children. Nichole drew her knife and stabbed the first attacker in the eye, the blade reaching down into neural tissue, killing the beast. The second was a bit faster in charging an attack, the Nichole deflected with the knife, feeling the searing pain of the fire as the short weapon was effective but too short to protect. Nichole jumped as the third charged, landing on its head and throwing the knife at the second, embedding it in the creatures forehead. The third stumbled and fell backwards, making Nichole loose her balance. She landed hard on her back, gritting her teeth in pain as her wounds opened again. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

Luckily, Nichole didn't have to get back up. A crossbow bolt flew and killed the third creature before it could even get up all the way. Nichole hissed as she got up, feeling blood warm her side again. Damn. She should have stayed at the ShinRa building.

"Are you alright?" A concerned voice called her back to awareness; Nichole glanced up and then double took. His hair was long now and held back by a hair band, his blue eyes framed by glasses and he held a scary looking cross-bow in his hands.

"Fenix." She whispered, wide-eyed at him. He tilted his head and nodded slightly.

"Ma'am are you alright?" He asked again more persistently. Nichole could feel the blood still running and she knew she would need help.

"I opened a prior wound." She said softly, watching her brother as he knelt and pulled out a light green material. He activated it and when the energy hit her she knew he had mastered this piece of Gaia. She could feel the wound seal again; he grunted and finished quickly, not taking too much time to be consistent with the healing.

"You work with ShinRa." He said gruffly, looking at her scornfully. Nichole deflated a bit, nodding once. Fenix grunted disapprovingly and turned away.

"How do you know my name? Are you a Turk?" He asked warily, placing a bolt into the cross-bow. Nichole didn't know what to do, this was her brother! If she told the truth he would hate her, if she lied he would still hate her. Fenix had hardened since he left, he was a man now. Nichole slowly stood, looking at him.

"You could say that, though it's really unofficial." She hinted, hoping he would recognize some part of her.

"I'll ask again, how do you know my name?" He asked, growling slightly at the end. Nichole looked around, the streets were empty enough.

"Do you know of Nichole Harp? The female SOLDIER?" She asked, Fenix looked agitated with the topic change, but nodded once, pulling the string back on his weapon. He knew. He knew very well his sister was in SOLDIER. Nichole looked down again, slowly pulling the hood down, letting him see her eyes.

She expected to see sudden hatred. Some form of rage. A blow, maybe even that bolt he had been readying on his bow, but she always had a knack for being wrong. Fenix staggered back as if he had been hit, dropping the loaded weapon onto the ground, gaping at her. She wasn't sure if it was good or bad, she had never really seen her brother get shocked before. She nearly flinched up as he came back to life and yanked her hood back on.

"Don't let the others see. They will kill you if they find you here!" He told her sternly, his voice quiet. Her eyes teamed up, he did care. Even though he left he still cared. After fourteen years her older brother still cared for her. Nichol swallowed thickly and nodded, watching as he retrieved his weapon. "Come. I'll heal that wound more properly inside." He insisted, Nichole following blindly. Fenix led her to a small home, behind a few shops and locked the door behind him.

"Daddy?" A small voice called out and Nichole wanted to cry even more now. She had a niece. Fenix bade her to sit and she did, fetching some supplies from a room elsewhere in the house. A small girl, looking about five or six peered around the corner at her. Nichole smiled at her and the girl shyly ducked her head behind the corner again. She looked just like Fenix. Her brother returned shortly and sat beside her.

"Let's see that wound." He goaded and Nichole hesitantly pulled the jacket off, looking at her brother in the face. He seemed disbelieved that she was truly there, in his home. Nichole smiled and pulled her shirt up, letting her brother un-do the red-stained bandages. She was lucky it didn't get to her shirt. Fenix smeared some strong smelling salve on it, seeming skilled in the medical field and cleaned up the wound. He pulled out his material again and let the glowing orb's energy flow into her wound. Nichole could feel the scabs re-forming and the deeper parts of the tissue re-connecting together. When Fenix stopped she felt amazing. Like she wasn't even wounded. Fresh bandages were applied and she returned her shirt to its place and looked at Fenix.

Both of them stared for an obscenely long period of time before Nichole lunged forwards wrapping her arms around her brother's neck in a powerful hug. Fenix returned it almost instantly, the siblings holding each other for a long moment. Fenix broke the embrace when his daughter entered the room, shyly clutching a stuffed moogle doll to her chest.

"Nichole, this is my daughter Xeyza." He introduced the shy child, pulling the black haired girl up onto his lap. Nichole smiled softly at her, the child seeing her eyes and hiding behind her doll again. Nichole looked at Fenix and gave him a 'what can you do' look, shrugging. Nichole had been the same way with strangers as a child.

"Xeyza, didn't you see her fighting those monsters before you came to get me?" Fenix inquired, earning a stiff nod from the girl, peeking out from behind the doll again. "Don't you think you say thank you. One of your friends could have gotten hurt."

"Thank you, miss Nichole." She said quietly, Nichole smiling at her.

"You're very welcome little one." She replied looking at Fenix. The little girl ran back off again, going deeper into the house. Fenix sighed, looking tired now.

"Her mother died a year ago. She is still recovering, I suppose." He told her, Nichole emphatically rubbing his shoulder. It was strange for her to see her brother so suddenly grown up and mature. When she last saw him, he was still a boy.

"We have a lot to talk about." Nichole said, earning a nod from her brother. So they began.

Nichole walked around the slums after leaving her brother's home. She had on her jacket, hood up, skirting around the slums. She was thankful not many people lived in Sector Six, it allowed her some peace to think freely. Her brother had been very happy to see her well, though he wasn't very pleased with her occupation, naturally. Xeyza had quickly opened up once Nichole started to converse with her brother, the child ended up sitting in her lap most of the time, while Nichole braided and unbraided her hair.

They had caught up on a lot of things. He was a doctor of sorts now, at least the slum equivalent of one. If someone was sick or hurt they went to him. He had even delivered babies before, though he was extremely awkwarded out by the close proximity of a strangers 'private anatomy'. Nichole smiled a bit. For once, since she joined ShinRa, she felt content with how her day had gone. It was about four in the afternoon now, so walking was pleasantly cool under the plate. She had just set foot into Sector Five when she heard them.

"Hey, lady! What do you think you're doin'?" Nichole rolled her hooded eyes. Great, gang thugs. She turned and looked at them dryly.

"I think I'm walking through the slums, does that bother you?" She questioned in an innocent, yet threatening tone. The biggest guy was a bald headed, tattooed man with fierce green eyes. He sneered at her.

"You think you're bein' funny? This is our turf, you gotta pay to go through here." He sneered, Nichole scoffing.

"I must have left my wallet at home. Now if you'd excuse me." She went to go walk past them, but as she passed them a thick arm wrapped around her middle, holding back a hiss of pain from the wound on her side.

"I don't know where you think you's goin' missy. Whoever said the payment was money?" Oh please, she sighed hanging her head in mock defeat before slamming her head back into his nose, his hands flying up to his now broken nose, letting Nichole have her chance of escape. She darted away, the leader growling.

"You piece of meat! I'll lay you out to dry!" She could hear them chasing her, but she was faster. Or she would have been, if not for the painful twinging in her side every time she took a step. They were quickly gaining on her, a smaller guy quickly darting in front of her and cutting her off. She skid and growled facing off with him. She wished she hadn't left her knife buried into that fiend. Another man quickly grabbed her from behind as the smaller one, a Wutai by his looks, with short purple hair came forward and yanked her hood down.

"Oooooh, Vic, look at that! MAKO eyes on a girl, we got that Nichole chick." He said in his strange accent. Nichole growled and sneered, trying to get away, but her wound was burning like fire again. If she didn't stop she would tear her stitches. The bald man, Vic, came forward. His nose was bleeding and had been roughly readjusted, but it would heal wrong.

"Heh, funny thing bitch. We could do anything to you right now. Beat ya up, throw ya around, sell you off to AVALANCHE. But I think the boy's deserve a little fun after that chase don't you think?" He sneered grossly in her face, Nichole grimacing and trying to head-butt him again. The cocking of a gun made her stop, but she wasn't the one being threatened.

"I suggest you drop her and go crawl back into the rat's nest you crawled out of." A cool voice commanded them. Nichole looked thankfully at Tseng, who was holding a gun to her captor's head. The man released her and the three took off for their lives. Nichole turned and grinned sheepishly at him, the Turk looking unamused. His arm was in a sling that kept it firmly to his chest, his weapon being clasped in his freehand.

"Thanks Tseng. I see you snuck out to work." She commented, seeing him in full uniform.

"I see you snuck out to get into trouble. Cissei saw you in Sector Seven earlier." Tseng said indifferently, all traces of personal acquaintance gone. Nichole sighed deeply, crossing her arms. Jumping to conclusions are they?

"Tseng look, I had to go find someone. He's important to me." She said vaguely, making Tseng's eyes narrow.

"I wasn't aware you had a lover." He replied coldly, Nichole's face heating up and her mouth opened in shock.

"Wh-wha?! Ew no! He's my brother for crying out loud!" Nichole cried out in discuss at what Tseng had put into her brain. Blagh, incest!

"I also wasn't aware you had family living." He replied and she shrugged.

"He doesn't like ShinRa very much, so I thought Sector Seven would be perfect for him. I hadn't seen him in fourteen years." She admitted, earning a softened look of understanding from Tseng.

"Family is still family." He agreed quiet. "I assume you didn't speak of the company with him."

"Well he knows what I work as, it's hard not to since I'm the only female SOLDIER, but he didn't do anything except express the dislike for my job. He didn't try to pry or anything. He's a doctor down there basically." Nichole told Tseng, looking at him. Nichole puffed up again, scowling at him.

"You snuck to work you cheeky bastard! You're supposed to be resting!" She accused again, diffusing the tenseness of the prior accusation. Tseng smirked slightly and put his weapon away.

"I'm perfectly capable of making sure Aerith is safe." He replied amused at Nichole's look. "And I assure you I am anything , but cheeky."

.

.

A/N- And chapter five! If there are any spelling or grammatical errors you find, please leave a comment and tell me about it. I have a visual impairment that makes me not see the screen on my computer very well, but I can type by looking at my fingers. Thank you and once again I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR THE PURCHASABLE GAMES AND WHAT INFORMATION MY BRAIN HAS STORED INTO IT"S LONG-TERM MEMORY!

Clement Rage- Thanks for the feedback and I hope this chapter provided some good 'Nichole-plot' (I love how you put that btw) and as for Lazard…. I personally hate the guy anyways, he's like a douche on steroids.

R&R!

[EDITED]


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nichole stood there, glaring at the doors number. T34. Tseng's room. He had been sneaking out for the past three days and if Nichole had to be on Lockdown while she was hurt, there was no damn way she was letting him get away it. Nichole was still in her pajamas again, not having left again since the day she found her brother, letting the wound heal some more. The door opened, revealing a fully dressed and only half-operational Tseng, his arm still bound by the sling. He paused upon seeing her icy gaze on him.

"How did you find my room?" He questioned and Nichole raised an eyebrow.

"I stalk you." She was quiet for a moment, letting it get a little awkward before shaking her head. "I'm kidding, I checked the Directory at the end of the hall." She pointed to the little sheet of paper that bore all the Turks names and room numbers, hung on the wall. Tseng sighed and looked at her, about to move past her. She blocked him.

"Oh, no! You've been sneaking out for a while, you actually need to rest!" Nichole declared, crossing her arms and not letting him pass.

"Nichole, I need to work." Tseng warned, getting a scoff back from the woman.

"Both of us know who would win if we got in a fight, Tseng. Now get back in there before I go Mother Chocobo on you and start packing you on the head!" She threatened, Tseng raising a brow.

"Chocobo?"

"Yeah, I grow feathers and everything. It's real scary, now move it!" Nichole put her hands on his chest and easily pushed him back into the apartment. As the door shut both Reno and Cissnei watched, having seen the majority of what happened.

"Yo that chick has some guts, pushing him around like that." Reno stated and Cissnei just smiled wryly.

"There's more than some guts going on here, Tseng would never let anyone push him around." The copper haired woman insisted. Reno slowly put his coffee cup down and looked at her.

"You sayin' what I think you are, Cissnei?" Reno asked and the woman nodded.

"I totally called it."

Nichole stood there staring up at the taller man. He looked somewhat perturbed at her, but she wasn't budging. Tseng sighed and rubbed his forehead with his free hand.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're hurt and you working isn't going to make it get better any faster." Nichole told him, leaning on the door. Tseng shook his head and turned to go sit in his living room area. Nichole followed a bit slower, looking around. The apartment was furnished with black stained wood, unlike the cherry that was in hers, and he had some traditional Wutai pieces hanging on the walls. He didn't have a TV, typical hard worker, and had a bookcase that was used as a display case.

Looking around at his dwelling gave her a better look into who Tseng was. He was neat and organized, expressive of his background, and vigilant. Nichole couldn't see one thing out of place really.

"You are extremely organized for a man in his twenties." Nichole complimented, earning a stiff nod from him. He didn't really have anything to do here, except for sit. No wonder he worked all the time, it was like entertainment for him. Nichole sat cross-legged on the other black couch, looking at him.

"You don't have a computer or anything?" She asked and he nodded.

"I use it to write reports, which I can't do very effectively right now." He replied, glancing down at the arm held to his chest. Nichole huffed.

"If you were doing what you were supposed to be doing I wouldn't have be here." Nichole said to the silent blame that she felt from him. The man nodded and sighed. Nichole looked around at the place again. Her eyes went to the display case, looking at the few valuables her had placed there. On the very top shelf was an old samurai katana, resting in its display. She didn't know why, but looking at it made her suddenly realize that Tseng was from Wutai. She knew he was Wutai, but it never really hit her fully until now.

He was the enemy of his own country and people, exiled from his real home by his association with the enemy. All the times her and Zack had spoken of Wutai like they were dirty rats and Tseng never said a word. She felt horrible, not just for her insolence, but for Tseng's feelings. He must look at these things and be wounded every time, knowing that he could never return.

"Tseng, why ShinRa?" She asked blankly, still looking at the blade sheathed in red and gold. He looked at her.

"I don't understand."

"Why did you choose this place? Or why did you stay here, even after the war had begun?" Nichole looked at him. Both of them sat in silence for a while. She wondered if he had ever been asked this before. Probably not, no one really saw him as Tseng of Wutai, just as Tseng of the Turks. And that was all they cared.

"I'm not really sure myself. I was born and raised in Wutai, but it never really felt like home to me." He said quietly, looking away.

"You felt like you belonged here?" Nichole offered softly, getting a nod from the man. He was talking about his feelings and thoughts so impersonally; she wondered what it would take to actually show some emotion.

"Tseng, have I… ever hurt you, by saying something about Wutai in front of you?" She asked and he looked at her strangely. Nichole was being serious, very serious. She sat straight and was alert, watching Tseng's body language, just like he was hers. The Wutai shut his eyes and looked neutral for a moment.

"From you, no. Others have said some very uncouth things about Wutai." He said slowly, opening his eyes to look at her.

"I'm still sorry. It's hard to think about people as human when all you hear about is how they do terrible things. We did some pretty rough things too, really." Nichole said, looking down at her hands, thinking of the mission with B-Unit at Fort Tamblin. Tseng looked at her silently for a moment.

"What made you ask all of the sudden?" He inquired and Nichole shrugged, looking up at him somewhat sheepishly.

"Seeing some of your things just kind of made me think about it." She replied. "I mean, I always saw you as just another person, it didn't occur to me about who you are until now." Tseng seemed indifferent at first, but then nodded once, smiling softly.

"Most people here don't see me as Wutai. It's refreshing to have someone who understands." Tseng told her, the woman nodding.

"Whose katana?" She asked curiously, wanting to change the subject.

"My great-grandfathers. It's been passed down to me." Tseng replied, and Nichole nodded. She looked at him and then the blade.

"You ever used it or is it antique now?" She inquired, Tseng smiling a bit.

"When I was younger I tried, but I apparently don't have the skills to handle a blade. Much less two like you do." He explained and Nichole grinned.

"Well I don't have aim for crap with long-distance weapons, so it's pretty even." She said, smiling a bit. Tseng scoffed and smirked softly.

"I wouldn't have imagined." He said, standing up. Nichole jumped up and looked at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I was going to make tea, if you don't mind." He said amused, turning away from the direction of the door and heading towards his kitchen. He drank tea?

"She followed him curiously, watching him make a tea bag with a coffee filter and some dried up green plant stuff. It looked like some kind of drug. Nichole had to stifle laughter, thinking about how Tseng would act if he was on street drugs. Oh Minerva, why did Nichole have to get cursed with such thoughts? Finally bursting out into laughter, Nichole covered her face, Tseng looking at her sharply.

"What's so funny?" He asked, thinking it was something he was doing.

"That tea mix looks like street drugs!" She managed to say without laughing before holding her side in pain, jostling her wound with her laughing. She tried to stifle it, but she kept seeing Tseng acting strange and doing out of character things that made her laugh again. Tseng was appalled, but wordlessly continued, filling a kettle with water and beginning to brew the tea bag on a low heat.

Nichole was hardly able to pull it back together, but the aching in her side made it easier. She looked at Tseng, trying to remain composed, a few snickers escaping, but she eventually calmed. Just don't think about it.

"Okay, what's in that stuff?" Nichole asked, looking at him. Tseng moved to sit back down.

"It's mainly green tea leaves, but it has nettle, rose petal, and jasmine in it." He replied and Nichole tilted her head.

"Rose petals?" She questioned raising an eyebrow. He shrugged.

"It's the blend I grew up on." Tseng stated flatly and Nichole nodded a bit, sitting back down on the couch.

"What about you?" He asked. "Why did you pick ShinRa?" Nichole furrowed her brows, thinking.

"Part of it was I wanted to find my father. He worked here, but disappeared when I was fifteen." She began, trying to recall exactly why she chose to join SOLDIER. "Another reason is that I've always been a fighter. I came and was thinking about the Turks, but when they still offered SOLDIER I thought 'Why not'." Nichole said, looking at him.

"Why take that risk? No woman had ever survived the MAKO before." Tseng pointed out, making Nichole shrug.

"Either way wouldn't have mattered to me at that point. I also had a feeling in my gut telling me I'd be fine." She said, shrugging. Tseng looked at her for a moment.

"What if you hadn't have woken up?" He asked, making Nichole look at him.

"Then I'd get to meet my mom in the Lifestream. Either option was something I wanted." She stated indifferently. "I'm not afraid of death, or what comes after it. I don't actively seek it, but I'm not afraid of it. Besides, I don't really have much to lose." She stated. Tseng stared at her still.

"What about your brother? And your niece?" Tseng asked making Nichole frown.

"I didn't know back then. And now I have a little bit more to think about. People would actually miss me if something happened." She said, the small whistling of the kettle calling Tseng back into the kitchen, making Nichole think more. Yeah, she had people now. Cissnei, Zack, Kunsel, Sephiroth would possibly, Fenix and Xeyza, and Tseng. She nodded a bit to herself, she had people now.

Nichole and Tseng did this for the rest of the two weeks they both were supposed to be off, though the last week Nichole went Tseng down to Sector Five to help watch the flower girl. Aerith was a sweet girl, although she was way too innocent for her age and where she lived. Nichole had spoken with her briefly, finding the conversation pleasant and cheery. The girl even offered to show her the church's flowers, but Nichole politely refused, claiming she had bad allergies.

Her wound was almost done healing, only a few of the stitches remaining, having yet to fall out. She was wearing less bandages, now only having a small patch of taped on gauze instead of a wrap around. She was becoming restless and wanted to get back on the field. She had seen Zack a couple times; he was really depressed lately about Angeal.

Nichole sat in the SOLDIER lounge, drinking a cup of the green tea Tseng had gave her He made the blend himself, so he always had a ton of it. It was really good, not a bitter as coffee, but still good. Kunsel was rambling on about some guy who had screwed up on a mission and Nichole sighed heavily. This kid liked to hear himself talk a lot. Nichole stood up and looked out the window, tapping her foot. She saw some mechs around the entrance of the building, heading towards it. Her eyes narrowed, that was a bit weird. What was going on here?

Pulling out her phone she sent a quick group message to Tseng, Sephiroth and Lazard asking about the two legged mechs out front. Sephiroth and Lazard didn't answer, but Tseng instantly called her.

"Nichole, the security department doesn't use mechs." He stated and Nichole ran off towards the elevators, leaving her tea behind with Kunsel.

"I'm going to get my weapons."

"Nichole, you'll tear the rest of your stitches." Tseng reminded her and she growled irritated, jamming the elevator button repeatedly, quickly getting the residence hall button available and she jammed it as well.

"I don't really care at the moment, if something is going to happen I want to be ready to help." She told him. He sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Meet us in Sector Eight then." Nichole snapped her phone shut, running off the elevator and bursting into her apartment. She had just grabbed her weapons when the building suddenly shook and the alarms started sounding off. She growled and bolted back to the elevator, jamming the button again. It was slow, but when it stopped she was surprised to see Zack in it.

"Zack!" She said relieved to have a friend there to help. He nodded.

"Lazard sent me to the entrance." He stated, Nichole jamming the first floor button. The machine halted at floor 49, Zack getting off to investigate while Nichole continued to the entrance. It was havoc down there, Infantrymen were shooting at the large mechs that had torn the buildings front open and many of them fell dead with bullet rounds. She growled, pushing her way through the massed of firing infantry and stood on a table by the edge, charging her recently acquired Thundaga material. She pointed Hellfire at the mechs and released the powerful energy, the streaks of lightning hitting the machines and shorting them out.

Nichole jumped down, jumping off the platform above the information desk, landing in a neat crouch right in front of it. Her side ached, but she ignored it, darting between the two large mechs, slashing one's wiring, disabling the guns on its arms. Reno, Rude and Cissnei were in the Fountain Plaza, fighting off Genesis copies. Nichole grit her teeth. When did these guys stop?

Charging from behind she cut four of them down with a spinning attack, darting out of the way since she had grabbed their attention. Nichole charged up FIra and Blizzard in her swords, Flames licking at her left blade and ice glittering on her right. She had five targets around her, two of them charging fire attacks, She dodged them letting said attacks hit their fellows and she plunged Angelsong into another's midsection, twisting violently before pushing him away. The two left attacked from different directions, forcing Nichole to fall back as to not get injured. She jumped up raining down a dense barrage of ice needles, piecing their armor and flesh beneath, Nichole landed and slammed the ground with Hellfire, sending hot bursts of flames forth to consume the targets.

Nichole stood up, most of the targets eliminated, noticing Zack being blocked off by Reno. Nichole rolled her eyes and walked over as Rude stepped to Zack's other side. Tseng jogged towards them, his arm free of the sling.

"Tseng, do something!" Zack said, not seeing Cissnei dispatch the two copies that had cornered her. Nichole chuckled, walking along the edge of the fountain.

"There's no need for concern." Rude told Zack, catching his attention and making Zack look at Cissnei.

"If you weren't so busy noticing she was a girl, you would have seen the uniform." Nichole chided, Zack

"The other areas?" Tseng questioned to Reno.

"Midgar's just crawlin' with nasties." The red-head replied.

"SOLDIER is having difficulties." Rude added on, pushing up his shades. Nichole glanced at them, amused with Zack's unsatisfied expression.

"Reno, Rude." Tseng stopped them.

"Just say the word." Reno said.

"Go." Both the Turks ran off, towards the Sector One Train Platform.

"So now we're outsourcing to the Turks?" Zack question as Nichole walked up behind him.

"SOLDIER's being stingy." Cissnei chided, making Nichole grunt.

"Not really much we can do about it." She looked at Cissnei, making Zack nod.

"Yeah there's a manpower shortage. Huh?" He looked at Cissnei, getting a boyish look on his face. Nichole glanced at Tseng, who was watching with an unamused expression. "You're a Turk too?"

"I'm Cissnei." She told him, smiling coyly at him. Nichole was unimpressed, but Zack was eating it up.

"I'm Zack. Pleasure to meet ya" He introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake. Nichole nudged Tseng a bit, giving him a look. The Turk stepped forward.

"Zack, aren't you on assignment?" The Wutai asked stiffly, crossing his arms at the SOLDIER. Cissnei held back a giggle and Nichole raised an eyebrow at her, shaking her head.

"Same objective. Need some help here?" Zack asked hopefully, looking at Tseng, giving the opportunity for Cissnei to shrug at Nichole, the two women speaking through body language and facial expression. Basically, Cissnei thought Zack was cute and Nichole disapproved.

"I appreciate the offer, but-"

"Oh, how generous." Cissnei interrupted Tseng, turning towards LOVELESS Avenue. "Well, Tseng, Zack, Nichole, I gotta go" She said, winking at Zack before she ran off. Nichole stood there dumbfounded as Zack grinned and ran off after her. Tseng looked at her over his shoulder, having the same stupefied expression and Nichole's eye started to twitch.

"Was she just flirting with him, or was that just me?" She asked the senior Turk.

"They were flirting." He replied, crossing his arms.

"Where are we headed them?" Nichole asked Tseng, who turned towards Sector Two.

"Just keep up." He said before taking off. Nichole followed, having Angelsong at the ready. It wasn't very long before they spotted Copies, Nichole charging up Thundaga again. She slammed the tip of her blade into the ground as they ran towards them, the four copies getting electrocuted, the metal in their armor making the shock worse. Two of them dropped, Tseng taking care of the other two with his gun. As the remainder fell, two were still running. They soon came upon a dividing fork in the road. Neither of them had to speak instantly taking the side that they ran on, Tseng to the left and Nichole to the right.

Nichole could hear Tseng's gun from a ways off, but strangely she had seen no copies or monsters of any kind. She was on edge, having both her blades ready for action. She hid in the shadows as she hear a single set of slow-paced footsteps.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess." A voice began, one she knew to belong to Genesis. None of the other copies had spoken, she needed to remain hidden. "We seek it thus, and take to the skies." Nichole gritted her teeth; he was so damn close, if only she could just end it now. "Ripples form on the water's surface. The wandering soul knows no rest." The traitor continued, getting closer with each step and his voice growing colder.

"Nichole Harp, you can come out now." She must have paled, how the hell did he know she was there. She activated Thundaga and her summon, just in case, before slowly stepping out of the shadows, facing the auburn haired man. He seemed amused at her, possibly for her attempt at hiding.

"Why do you hide from me?" He asked, Nichole sneering at him.

"You are a traitor, and a liar. You're hurting people by doing this." She replied, meeting his eyes with her own. He grunted even more amused now. What was with this guy?

"Monsters care not for who they hurt, lying and betraying whom they feel like." He responded darkly, drawing his weapon.

"You aren't a monster, Genesis! Just stop this!" Nichole insisted, watching as Genesis unfurled his large black wing. He glanced at her, turning to the side a bit.

"All of us, SOLDIER, we are monsters." He said, Nichole shaking her head.

"No. Monsters feel nothing. They exist to cause pain and destruction, attacking the innocent and cutting down the righteous. You feel something. You're doing this for a reason, you said your parents betrayed you, is that it? Who else is hurting you?" She interrogated, causing the man to look away.

"I am a monster, then. I feel no regret, no pity, no sympathy. Not for myself or for anyone else." Genesis turned to look at her. "If I am not a monster, then what is?!" He cried, charging her with his blade ready.

Nichole barely had time to block, not expecting the man to bull-rush her the way he did. She knocked his blade away from her throat and swiped at his midsection with Hellfire. Genesis jumped back and threw Firaga at her, Nichole rolling to the side to evade the hot balls of fire. Nichole didn't have time to regroup, constantly dodging attacks or magic blasts, being forced to a building. She held her swords ready as Genesis slowly approached.

"Nichole…." He began slowly, looking at her. "Why do you stay with your oppressors?" He questioned, Nichole not understanding what he meant.

"ShinRa is my job. My friends are there, and I won't betray them." She said firmly, edging off the building. Genesis grunted and looked at her.

"Hollander will be most disappointed then." Nichole was confused further by this.

"What do you mean?" She demanded, scowling as Genesis began to laugh. "Tell me!"

"Your mother died before you were born Nichole." Genesis said, Nichole scowling. He was a liar, she shouldn't believe his words. "Your father brought her to ShinRa and infused her with MAKO shortly before you were born. You had a heightened tolerance, which enabled you to survive. Unlike your mother." He said. Nichole shook her head in disbelief.

"You're lying, Genesis. If I had been exposed to MAKO before, my eyes would be blue, not green like before!" She insisted. How could he expect her to believe something like that?

"I'm not lying, Nichole. Hollander has your father's data and reports in his lab. I'm headed thee now, if you'd like to see." Genesis offered. Nichole backed away as he extended his hand towards her.

"Get the hell away from me, you silver tongued serpent!" She spat at him. How dare he! Her father loved her mother! He would never do anything to hurt her! Or Nichole! Genesis laughed wryly once, shaking his head and holding his hands up in defeat.

"Your own fall then, but I tell you the truth." Genesis stated before departing, taking off into the sky in a blur of black, his feathers floating down. Nichole looked at the ground. It wasn't that she believed him, or that she doubted his skills at lying and deception, but… What if… What if he was right? Nichole shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. She wouldn't make any assumptions of it. Not until she had spoken with her brother or an official from the Science Department. Maybe Hojo would have access to it.

"Nichole!" She heard Tseng calling her as he ran up, having his gun at the ready. "Are you alright?" He inquired, earning a brief and silent nod from Nichole.

"Genesis just left. He said he was going to Hollander's lab." She stated quietly, Tseng nodding.

"Sephiroth and Zack are on their way there now. The main attacks have stopped and the streets are mainly clear, but the President has commanded that all other Turks, SOLDIERs, and Infantry are to report back to the building for debriefing and security checks. They think someone inside is a rat." Tseng stated, getting another silent nod from Nichole. She put her swords on her back and they began to walk back to the ShinRa building.

.

.

A/N- And there we are! Was Genesis lying? Was he telling the truth? ONLY I KNOW! I'm a terrible person, Nichole is so confused right now. Once again, if you spot any spelling, punctuation or grammar errors please tell me. I am my own kind of grammar freak. Anyways R&R! Let me know how I'm doing! I love to hear from you guys!


	7. Chapter 7

The volcano was vomiting forth magma once again, Nichole observed in her dream. The sky was dark with smoke and heat lighting lit up the dark plumes overhead, fire and lava turning the landscape red and burning all around her. The white dress she wore was tainted with soot and had burnt holes in the skirt. Despite the fire that lay at her feet, Nichole felt no warth, just a terrible coldness that ate at her insides.

The sea behind her was calm, gentle waves crashing on the steep rise of the cliff, it's calm melodies floating through the air to mix with the roar of the fire and create a cataclysm of noise and energy.

Nichole had to step back as the cold fire licked towards her feet, bringing her closer towards the edge of the cliff. As the backs of her heels began to sink into the very edge of the cliff, a strong wind blew out the flames around her, leaving a vast realm of blackened destruction and death in it's wake. Moving away from the edge again, the sooty, ashen world crumbling around her, Nichole took her place at the cliff, looking out over the sea, turning her back on the death and marred earth.

Nichole bolted up, drenched in a cold sweat, the clock reading five minutes before she would have been roused by her alarm. Curling up to hug her knees, Nichole buried her face into the protection of her human ball. The dream was so confusing, but yet so repetitive and simple, and she couldn't pick it apart even now.

Brushing thin strands of damp hair away from her face, Nichole glared at the alarm clock as it started to go off, flicking the device off and standing up. Since the attack SOLDIER had been struggling to do what they normally did, Lazard's authority and guidance having vanished during the infiltration of the ShinRa building. In only three days, people had no idea what to do anymore.

Nichole rubbed the back of her neck and went to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and getting her Turk uniform on. As she left, Nichole's phone beeped, calling her attention to the small mobile device. Checking the message, from Veld of course, the short message saying he had an assignment for her to do.

Snapping the phone shut, she left her apartment, fixing the tie around her neck to lie straight. Nichole glanced around the room, walking pass the coffee machine and heading to the elevator. She crossed her arms impatiently as the machine brought her up to the office floor, walking into Veld's office, ignoring the rookies glances.

"Good morning Nichole." Veld greeted instantly, the woman nodding a bit towards him, acknowledging him.

"What is it today? More recon?" Nichole asked, sitting in a chair in front of the executive Turk's desk. Veld looked at her breifly before shaking his head.

"You're going to go to Reactor Five and into Hollander's secret lab." Nichole's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the place. That's where Genesis said there was proof he was right.

"Objective?" Nichole questioned.

"Meet Sephiroth and oversee the clean-up and dissection of the lab. If any reports were left behind, collect them and bring them back to me." Veld instructed and Nichole nodded. "Sephiroth will meet you outside the reactor."

"Yes, sir. If that's all then I'll go." Nichole replied, earning a nod of dismissal from Veld.

Sephiroth was waiting for her outside the reactor. Nichole had hardly seen the silver haired man after Wutai, somewhat pleased at seeing him again. He wasn't paying any attention to her though, distracted by whatever he was thinking about. The woman slowed her approach, not wanting to startle him.

"I'm guessing you meant to escort someone?" Nichole inquired, bring Sephiroth out of his inner council, his teal MAKO eyes snapping to her. Half-smiling she crossed her arms at him as he grunted.

"Nichole," He greeted flatly. "I almost didn't recognize you in that suit." The woman laughed and shook her head, stopping a few feet away from him.

"So the great Sephiroth can hardly see through a costume change? Shame." She teased, earning a smirk from the General.

"I'll take you to the lab now. There are still some copies around, keep alert." Sephiroth informed her, returning the information with a curt Angelsong into her hand, Nichole followed Sephiroth into the reactor.

The thick scent of MAKO tainted air was perfect for dissuading people from ever coming into a reactor. The air would do no harm to normal people, but it was a foul, chemical smell, akin to an antiseptic laden hospital room multiplied ten-fold. Nichole was bothered by the smell, but Sephiroth gave no hint of being affected by it. The clanking of the metal underneath their feet set Nichole on edge. If copies still lurked, they would be alerted by the noise of them walking.

As if on command, two fiends fell down from the ceiling and onto the metal pathways, one infront of them and one behind. The monsters were ugly reptilian things, with shells , long tails, and clawed hands that held flimsy looking tridents. Nichole turned to the one behind her and pointed the tip of her sword at it, holding the hilt close to her ear and looking down the blade. She was more effective with two blades, but two-handing a sword was her favorite and best fighting technique.

She was surprised when the humanoid turtle-lizard jumped way high and went to crash down onto her. At the last second, she rolled forward, the fiend crashing down to where she had been standing a moment before. Lashing out, Nichole swung her blade from the right, leaving a rend in the thick armor of the turtle shell on it's underside. The beast screeched and stabbed at her with the trident.

Jumping back to avoid the sharp tri-pointed weapon, Nichole spun and got Angelsong locked between two of the prongs, twisting her sword and puling the weapong from the monster's hands. The beast yowled in anger and leapt up into the air again as she dislodged the trident and kicked it off the edge of the path.

Nichole crumpled as the extra weight of the monster slammed down into her shoulders, making her go down to one knee as she threw the beast off and into the railing. Either the shell of the monster had cracked or she threw the fiend much harder than she thought she did and broke the railing, because the contact of shell and metal let out a loud shattering sound.

Nichole was somewhat surprised with herself as the fiend stumbled forward and collapsed onto it's front. Indeed the shell of the creature had broken and spiderweb cracks could be seen throughout the entire shell on the backside. Unsure whether it was dead or not, Nichole cautiously stepped forward and stabbed the end of her blade into the base of the creatures neck, severing the spinal cord.

As she stepped away, a face on the top of the creatures head made her pause. Angeal…. Shaking her head she turned away, Sephiroth having finished his monster before her. He looked at her silently, Nichole wondered how he felt about all of this. First, Genesis copies, now Angeal copies. What were they thinking?

"Angeal came back I thought. That's what Zack said." Nichole stated and Sephiroth nodding in affirmation.

"He did, but he left again following Genesis. He has his own agenda, though I'm unsure of what it is." Sephiroth replied, Nichole frowning a bit. Where was he now though? Pushing the thought away, Nichole looked at the General.

"Let's just get to the lab." She offered, Sephiroth turning to lead the way again silently. The Lower they climbed, the stronger the smell of MAKO became, making the front part of Nichole's head ache with the strong scent.

The lab had been occupied by a few 3rd Class SOLDIER and one assistant from the Science Department, the few people busy with whatever they were doing when Sephiroth and Nichole ayrrived. Going down the stairs, Nichole quickly glaced over the small. Not really deserving of the title, lab. There was a MAKO compartment in the corner, two SOLDIER working on disconnecting the large container while the lab assistant directed them on how to do it without spilling MAKO everywhere.

"Well this isn't really what I expected." Nichole murmured, more to herself than anyone as Sephiroth followed her.

"Hollander was in the process of moving things out of here. He's the one who is making the copies for Genesis." Sephiroth informed her, the female SOLDIER nodding. Walking over to a flood light, Nichole gently picked up the crisp papers lying on the generator attached to it.

"The Ancient Project." Nichole read the title as the two 3rd Class began to carry the container out of the lab, the assistant following them. Sephiroth stood by the stairs watching her scan over the document she held. Making a face, Nichole dropped her arm to the side and looked around. Across the room, another document lay on a table. Nichole strode over and picked up this one, the Ancient Project outline still in her hand.

"Project G… Dear Gaia..." Nichole felt nauseas as she red the short summary. The company would stoop so low as to experiment on humans. Unborn humans nonetheless! Nichole shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't imagine what woman would let someone experiment on her child, especially in such a vulnerable period as gestation.

"Hollander was in charge of the experiment." Sephiroth spoke flatly, disgust and contempt hidden in his voice. Nichole put the sheet of paper behind the first document and held up a hand to Sephiroth in a pausing gesture, not wanting to hear about Project G or what Hollander had done.

The nex document she found was next to another empty MAKO container, sitting ontop of a control panel. This one caught her eye. It was titled "Report on the SOLDIER Degradation Phenomenon". Degrading? Scanning through the material, she paused. SOLDIER Type G? What was this?

What is all of this? Nichole glanced around some more, noticing white writings on the floor. Quietly snapping pictures of the graphs and figures on the floor she tried to put the pieces together.

"Sephiroth? What do you know about this?" Nichole questioned, Sephiroth looking up at her.

"Project G failed. The child… Genesis was normal." Nichole's eyes shot to Sephiroth, mouth opening partly in shock. Genesis was birthed from Project G? G….. Genesis.

"Genesis is degrading. The leak in his Genetic Code can be transferred. Making these…." Sephiroth trailed off, his eyes narrowing and mouth setting into a hard line. Glaring at the floor, Sephiroth shook his head.

"Monsters." Nichole finished for him sadly. Now she understood. Genesis called himself a monster because he couldn't feel human anymore after learning what had been done to him. Nichole looked dow at the reports in her hand and she stared at them long and hard. Why would the company do this?

Nichole wasn't ready for the hit. A solid blow to the back of her head. Stars swam in her vision as the Genesis copy snatched the reports from her hand. Sephiroth had his masamune ready in a second and tried to recover the documents, the female SOLDIER falling to her knees and then to the side, fighting to stay concious.

The sound of blades hitting one another sang out, but Nichole couldn't join the choir. Struggling in vain, her vision went black.

The steady beeping of an EKG roused Nichole from blow-induces slumber. Disoriented, Nichole glanced around. The infirmary, but how did she get here? Swallowing thickly, Nichole tried to lift her head, only to grunt in pain as a jolt shot down her back. What had she been doing to wind up here? Veld sent her to the reactor to get the documents and…

The documents! Nichole's eyes shot open wide, despite the retina searing light from above and grunted loudly as she forced herself into a sitting position with protesting muscles.

"You shouldn't be moving." Sephiroth's voice to her right made her turn her head, wincing while doing so. He sat there with his arms crossed and she blinked. Why was he here? Was he with her at the reactor? Yeah, he was.

"What happened?" Nichole mumbled slowly, a nurse finally noticing Nichole was awake.

"Miss Harp, are you in any pain?" The nurse questioned, her big brown eyes glancing over at Sephiroth nervously every few seconds.

"My whole back hurts, and It hurts to move my head. Did someone hit me?" Nichole questioned, the nurse glancing at Sephiroth.

"Nichole, you don't remember what happened?" Sephiroth interrogated and Nichole shrugged.

"I remember the reactor. And the documents. They… They took the documents!" Nichole looked at him, eyes searching for the small stack of papers. Sephiroth shook his head.

"The documents were stolen before we got there Nichole." Sephiroth told her and Nichole made a face, looking at him before she understood.

"Oh! Yeah. I remember now." Nichole said, going along with Sephiroth's fib. The nurse seemed enthralled in Sephiroth's presence still and the General cleared his throat and looked at the woman.

"Shouldn't you be getting her some painkillers?" Sephiroth inquired, making the woman blush bright red and rush out of sight. Nichole rubbed her forehead, memories still fuzzy about what really happened.

"I have no clue what happened at the reactor, Sephiroth." Nichole muttered, loud enough so only he could hear. The silver haired man nodded and looked up as the nurse came back holding a small pill bottle with several stark white pills in it.

"Um, here." The nurse handed the orange container over to Sephiroth, earning her a questioning look from both the man and Nichole. She cleared her throat nervously.

"I told the doctor what happened and he said to take it easy for a day or two and take one of those every four hours unless you are sleeping." The nurse informed and Sephiroth dismissed her with a nod. Nichole grit her teeth as she moved off the bed, the muscles running down her spine seizing and jolting in pain.

Sephiroth leant the struggling woman a steady arm as he escorted her to the Turk floors. His clearance would get him anywhere in the building except the research labs. The pain was nearly enough to make Nichole black out, each step sending stabs up her back and neck. She opened her door with the passcode and pulled away from Sephiroth and going to the closest place to sit and try to ease the pain.

Nichole hadn't even noticed that Sephiroth had invited himself inside until a glass of water and a single pill were handed to her. Dipping her head in gratitude, Nichole took both and swallowed the pill with a big gulp of water.

"I think I'll be okay. Thank you though." Nichole smiled gratefully at the General who silently nodded and turned to leave.

"I'll check in with Veld and let him know what happened." Sephiroth said before he shut the door behind him, the automatic lock clicking in place. Nichole sighed deeply.

Again? She had been hit from behind again?

"Gah, what is this the third time?" Nichole grumbled to herself. First, Wutai, then Banora… Yup this was the third time in four months she had been hit from behind. Blinking, slowly, Nichole sunk into the padded arm-chair, finding herself growing sleepy. Shutting her eyes, Nichole dozed in a drug-induced stupor for a time, small movements, such as the curtain by the window ruffling as the air conditioning kicked on and the occasional drip of the leaky faucet in her kitchen, made her glance at them. Finally, the stupor ended, a dreamless sleep dragging the womans conciousness into it's silent and dark depths.

.

.

.

A/N- AND I'M BACK! Geez, this chapter took me forever. *Facedesks* I'm sorry for taking so long, I got really busy all of the sudden and I had barely any time to write this out. Anywho, leave a review if you read, I would really appreciate it. Sephiroth might seem a little OOC here, but I am planning for later and the small things like this will be important. (This is NOT a Sephiroth romance fiction so don't even go there. The romance is later, and you will find out who soon enough.)


End file.
